Comparison Creek — Compare Numbers 1–10 (Kindergarten)

About this activity

Children steer Captain Quill's raft downriver, and at each bend two number-buoys appear — like 7 and 6, or 5 and 6 — with a prompt to choose the bigger or the smaller one. Comparison Creek is a free Kindergarten math game about comparing written numbers that runs in the browser with no account, carrying children gently from one comparison to the next.

The numbers are deliberately close together, so a child cannot just grab the obviously-larger one — telling 7 from 6 means actually reading the numerals. The game even sets a trap with size: one round prints a small 3 large and a large 8 small, so a child who judges by how big the digit looks will be wrong and has to read the number itself. Mixed in are dot-groups, a 'name which is more' round, an equal pair where the answer is 'the same,' and a 'between' round, so comparison is explored from several angles.

It is aligned to Common Core K.CC.C.7 — comparing two written numbers between 1 and 10. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

• Designed for Grade K learners (ages about 5–6)
• Common Core strand: Counting & Cardinality
• Aligned to Common Core standard K.CC.C.7

How to play

Read the two number-buoys at the bend and the prompt — bigger or smaller.

Steer the raft toward the number you choose.

Wrong turns are gently corrected so children can try again — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

• Read two written numerals and decide which is bigger or smaller
• Compare numbers that are close together, like 6 and 7
• Ignore how big a digit is printed and read the number it stands for
• Recognize when two numbers are equal

Learning goals

Compare two written numbers from 1 to 10 — the focus of Common Core K.CC.C.7.

Read the numeral itself instead of guessing from its size.

Build the comparing sense that greater-than and less-than work depends on.