

Math Bakery 1 - Start Counting
Spring 2017 Mobile AppsMath Bakery 1, from Pi Education, is a useful app for children who are just learning addition and subtraction. The game is set in a bakery, where a pair of kids need to work on their math homework, but there are cookies that need to be baked -- so the baker (their dad?) suggests they combine the two activities. In a series of increasingly difficult sets of math facts, players rearrange cookies on the baking sheet as needed to practice the basic arithmetic. Problem sets range from adding or subtracting one, to working with groups that make 10, to halving, doubling, and simple two-digit addition or subtraction problems.
By working quickly, players accumulate enough completed batches to earn a star; by earning three stars, players are awarded with components of a cookie house. Players have to work hard to achieve even a few pieces, which encourages persistence, though kids used to more instant results may sometimes be frustrated. Parents can create up to three accounts, and the app keeps track of how much progress a child has made in each activity so the parent can keep tabs on them.
In a second version of the game, players can go head-to-head, taking turns creating problems for each other and answering them. The game allows the user to decide who goes first and how quickly (slow, medium, fast) players must complete the problems.