How to play
A volcanic island stretches from the snowy summit down past sea level into the ocean trench. Each round you climb to a positive height or dive to a negative depth based on the integer arithmetic shown (e.g. "+6 then −9"). Correct moves land you on solid ground; wrong ones drop you in the sea (no penalty, just a swim back). The island reveals more terrain as the child progresses through positive-and-negative arithmetic.
What your child will learn
- Develop number sense and estimation
Skills practiced
- Problem solving
Why this age range
Aimed at grades 5–6 because integer arithmetic appears in grade 6 in most curricula. Younger children can play the positive levels but the negative ones aren't yet on their radar; older children should already be at home with the topic and will use the game as drilling practice.
Notes for parents
Negative numbers cause more confusion in middle school than they should, mainly because the introduction is symbolic before it's intuitive. Integer Island fixes the order: feel the negatives as ocean depth first, then meet the symbolic notation. If your child can dive to −5 in the game without thinking, they'll add 7+(−5) without hesitation later.