The scales
The scales is a two-pan balance that tips towards the heavier side. The weights are hidden and only the scale reveals them. Fruit, small animals and identical coloured gift boxes appear, so nobody can answer without looking at the scale. The five levels go from comparing two objects to solving chains of equivalences.
What children practise
- Comparing mass: heavier, lighter or the same.
- Measuring with a non-standard unit: how many cubes an object weighs.
- Reasoning with equivalences: if a pear weighs as much as two strawberries, two pears weigh as much as four.
- Ordering three objects by weight from two comparisons (transitive reasoning).
- Solving chains of equivalences with simple addition and subtraction, an early step towards algebraic thinking.
Levels and settings
Level 1
Which is heavier? Tap the object in the pan that goes down.
Level 2
How heavy is it? Add or remove cubes until the scale is level, then tap the green button.
Level 3
Equivalences: at the top, 1 pear = 2 strawberries; below, how many strawberries for 2 pears?
Level 4
Two scales: which of the three is the heaviest, or the lightest?
Level 5
Chains of equivalences with simple addition and subtraction.
Auto
Starts at level 1 and goes up one level every 2 challenges.
How to play it in class
- Open The scales and choose the year and difficulty, or pick a level from 1 to 5 or Auto.
- Turn the voice on so the instruction is read aloud for children who cannot read yet.
- Play in teams, each on its own half with the same challenges, or with one child alone.
- Tap the object, add cubes by tapping the pile or dragging them, or choose the amount: the scale checks it. The first to 5, 8 or 12 points wins.
Ways to play
In teams, at the same time
The screen splits in two and each team plays on its own half at the same time.
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
How young can children start?
From Early years. Level 1 only asks them to tap the heavier object, and the voice reads the instruction.
Do the weights make sense?
Yes. They are made up but never contradict real life: the watermelon is always heavier than the strawberry. Identical gift boxes force children to read the scale.
How does it match the year group?
From the year and difficulty the game suggests a level: levels 1 to 3 in Early years, 4 to 5 from Year 3 up. You can also choose it yourself.
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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