Tug of war
A mental maths game for the interactive whiteboard with the screen split in two: each team gets its own number pad and its own calculation. Every correct answer is a pull, and the rope slides towards that team. The winner is the team that drags the yellow ribbon to its flag before time runs out.
What children practise
- Recall addition and subtraction facts, with and without carrying.
- Practise times tables at speed.
- Work out divisions, percentages, powers and square roots in the upper years.
- Check an answer before submitting it, because a mistake locks the pad for a second.
Levels and settings
Y1-Y2
Adding and subtracting to 10, to 20 and to 99 without carrying; in Year 2, carrying up to 999 and the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables.
Y3-Y4
All times tables, adding and subtracting up to 9,999, multiplying by one and two digits and dividing by one digit.
Y5-Y6
Multiplying by two digits, dividing by two digits, percentages, powers, square roots and mixed operations with brackets.
Time and pulls
A game lasts 1, 1:30, 2 or 3 minutes and is won with a lead of 5, 7 or 10 pulls.
How to play it in class
- Open the game on the interactive whiteboard or a tablet and choose the year group and difficulty.
- Name the two teams and set the time and the pulls needed to win.
- Each team keys in its answer on its own half and taps check.
- Every right answer pulls the rope; the other team's right answers pull it back.
- The team that reaches its flag wins, or the one with the rope on its side at the end.
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
What happens when a team gets it wrong?
Their number pad locks for a second and the answer is cleared. They lose no pulls, but the other team gets a head start.
What if time runs out before anyone reaches a flag?
The team the rope has moved towards wins. If it is dead centre, the team with more right answers wins.
Can one child play alone?
Yes. In On my own mode there is a single number pad and the child tries to pull the rope to the flag before the time runs out.
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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