Dots and boxes
On a grid of dots, teams take turns tapping the line between two neighbouring dots. Whoever draws the fourth side of a box keeps it, colours it in and goes again. When no lines are left, the team with more boxes wins; equal scores end in a draw.
What children practise
- Recognising a square and its four sides.
- Counting how many sides each box already has and how many are missing.
- Avoiding the third side, which hands the box to the other team.
- Counting and comparing each team's boxes at the end.
- Planning several moves ahead when boxes form a chain.
Levels and settings
Early years
A board of 3 x 3 boxes, 9 in all.
Y1-Y2
3 x 3 boxes, or 4 x 4 on hard.
Y3-Y4 and Y5-Y6
4 x 4 on easy, 5 x 5 on medium and 6 x 6 on hard, up to 36 boxes.
On my own
A half-played board where you have to find the line that closes a box. The game ends after 5 solved puzzles.
How to play it in class
- Pick the year group and difficulty; for a different size, change the Board setting.
- Name the two teams and tap Start.
- Taking turns, a pupil taps the line between two dots. If it closes a box, the team keeps it and goes again.
- When there are no lines left, the game shows how many boxes each team has and who wins.
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
What happens if one line closes two boxes?
The team keeps both and goes again, just as with a single box.
Is it suitable for Early years?
Yes. Early years gets a 3 x 3 board and children only need to tap between two dots, a good way to work on squares and counting.
What do you do in solo mode?
A board with lots of lines already drawn appears and you must tap one that closes a box. If it doesn't, the game says so and moves on to another board.
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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