Connect 4
Tap a column, or drag the disc over it, and the disc drops to the lowest free space. Both teams take turns on the same grid, and the round goes to whoever lines up four discs across, down or diagonally. For the youngest children the grid is smaller and three in a row is enough.
What children practise
- Spatial awareness: rows, columns and diagonals on a grid.
- Predicting where a disc will land from the ones already in the column.
- Spotting the other team's threat and blocking it before they complete a line.
- Counting discs in a row in different directions.
- Planning moves that set up two lines at once.
Levels and settings
Early years
A grid of 5 columns and 5 rows; three in a row wins.
Y1-Y2
A 7-column grid. On easy, three in a row is enough; on medium and hard you need four, and on hard the grid grows to 9 columns.
Y3-Y4 and Y5-Y6
Four in a row on a 7-column grid, or 9 columns on hard.
On my own
Puzzles with discs already played: find the column that completes the line.
How to play it in class
- Choose the year group and difficulty: the game sets the grid size and how many discs to line up. You can also change both by hand.
- Decide how many rounds it takes to win: 1, 3 or 5.
- On each turn, a pupil from the team taps a column or drags the disc to it.
- When a line is made, the winning discs are highlighted and the team scores a round. A full grid with no line is a drawn round.
Ways to play
In teams, taking turns
Both teams share the board and play one after the other.
For one player
One child plays on the whole screen at their own pace: on the whiteboard, a computer or a tablet.
Frequently asked questions
Can we play three in a row?
Yes. In the settings you can choose 3 or 4 discs in a row, and Early years starts with three in a row on a 5-column grid.
Do you have to drag the disc, or is tapping enough?
Both work: tapping a column drops the disc, and you can also pick it up at the top and drag it; the column lights up as you pass over it.
What are the solo puzzles?
A grid with discs already played appears and you need to find the column that completes the line. If you miss, the game says so and moves on to a new puzzle.
Is it free?
You can play 5 free games without signing up. After that, a one-off payment of €9.99 unlocks all 78 games for ever, on all your devices. There is no subscription.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It opens in the browser of the interactive whiteboard, panel, computer, tablet or iPad. Once loaded, it also works offline.
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