Pairs that add up to your target
Pick a target first, either 10 or 20, and the board fills with numbers that hide pairs adding up to it. Tap one number, then tap its partner, the number that finishes the total, and a correct pair clears off the board for a point while a wrong one just lets go so you can rethink. When every pair is gone the board is complete and a new one takes its place, and the more pairs you can spot at a glance, the faster the board empties.
Knowing your bonds to ten by heart
The whole game speeds up once the bonds to ten live in your memory rather than being worked out each time: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, and 5 and 5. Learn those five pairs and the twenties fall into place too, since 14 needs 6 just as 4 does. So instead of counting up from each number, glance at a tile and ask what its partner must be, and let the answer come straight back.
The mental-math shortcut bonds unlock
Bonds to ten are the hinge that makes mental arithmetic quick. A child who knows them adds 8 and 5 by seeing that 8 needs 2, taking that 2 from the 5, and landing on 13 without counting, and they subtract the same way in reverse. That bridging trick is why bonds are drilled so early in school, and recalling a pair from a board fixes it in memory far better than copying sums off a page ever does. The pairs become automatic, and the harder math that leans on them stops feeling hard.
Frequently asked questions
What are number bonds?
Number bonds are pairs of numbers that add up to a certain total. For example, the number bonds to 10 include 6 and 4, 7 and 3, and 8 and 2. Knowing them by heart makes adding and subtracting much faster.
How do you play?
Pick a total like 10 or 20. Then tap two numbers that add up to that total. When you find a correct pair it is cleared. Find all the pairs to finish the board and get a new one.
What are the number bonds to 10?
They are the pairs of whole numbers that add up to ten: 0 and 10, 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, and 5 and 5. Learning these by heart is one of the most useful things a young child can do in math, because almost every quick mental addition and subtraction leans on them.