Snakes and ladders
The classic board game on a board numbered in a zigzag from the bottom. Each team rolls its own dice and chooses which of its two counters to move: land at the foot of a ladder to climb, on a snake's head to slide down, and on a rival counter to send it back to the start. A six earns another roll.
What children practise
- Recognising the number on the dice at a glance (subitising).
- One-to-one counting: tapping the counter once per square while saying the numbers.
- Moving along the number track up to 25, 49 or 64.
- Comparing positions and deciding which counter is better to move.
- Working out how many squares are left when an exact roll is needed.
Levels and settings
Early years
A 25-square board, one counter per team, one ladder and one snake, and no sending back.
Y1-Y2
25 squares (49 on hard), two counters per team and between 2 and 6 snakes and ladders depending on difficulty.
Y3-Y4 and Y5-Y6
49 squares on easy and 64 on medium and hard. On hard you need the exact number to reach the finish.
On my own
A single team rolls until it reaches the finish, and the game counts the rolls.
How to play it in class
- Choose the year group and difficulty; the settings let you change squares, snakes, counters, capturing and the finish rule.
- The team whose turn it is taps its dice. If two counters can move, they tap the one they want.
- When the child counts, the pupil taps the counter once per square, counting aloud; the message shows how many are left.
- The first team to get a counter to the finish square wins the game.
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
Does the child count the squares, or does the counter move by itself?
By default the child counts: they tap the counter once per square and the game says how many are left. In the settings you can switch to automatic movement.
Can we play with one counter and no capturing?
Yes. Choose one, two or three counters per team and turn off sending back to the start. Early years already plays that way.
What if I roll more than I need to reach the finish?
It depends on the To win setting: if overshooting is fine, the counter still gets in; with Exact number, that counter cannot move on that roll.
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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