– Kids love playing on phones and tablets.
– Parents worry about how kids spend their time.
– Solve the problem with well-designed, fun educational games.
Why are Factoring & Prime Numbers so important?
Lots of kids face difficulty when they get to fractions.
They need skill at factoring to succeed with fractions.
They need the ability to see which prime numbers make up a number; this comes with practice and drill.
Traditional tools such as worksheets and flashcards can leave kids bored and parents frustrated.
Playing games is a natural and fun way to learn.
Don’t let them grow up to say “I was never good at math.” Give them positive math experiences; the sooner, the better.
Play Bubbly Primes to get practice without the pain.
We care about healthy games. Bubbly Primes is paid in full up front, with no in-game advertisements, and no in-app-purchases. It contains no violence. It’s a real game, which is our way of saying that it’s fun.
Praise for Bubbly Primes
What a cool game. If I were still teaching 7th grade math, this would definitely be on my list of enrichment activities. — Emily N., Retired Teacher
We are huge fans of Bubbly Primes — the beautiful undersea math game app for kids & adults. — Josh M., Parent
Bubbly Primes is highly addictive yet fundamentally engaging. Not only for my nieces but me too. Genius! — Jamir M., Technical Recruiter and Uncle
My family loves Bubbly Primes! One can get sucked into the game easily because it motivates the player to become better at problem solving. The game is purposeful; the music serves as a meditative instrument. — Amy Lee, Artist
I never thought I’d love a math game so much or be so obsessed after playing for only a few days. — Wendy S., Not-A-Math-Person
A really fun game that teaches kids about prime numbers and factoring. — The Parenting Beyond Discipline podcast
Learning prime numbers and recognising the factors of composite numbers is an important ability and ‘Bubbly Primes’ has turned this into a fun game. — The Educational App Store
What do parents and teachers ask about Bubbly Primes?
Did you say educational?
Wait! First and foremost, it’s a game. We work hard on art, music, and attractive hand-drawn characters. Also, we spend a lot of time thinking about the reasons why our favorite games are so enjoyable. But, yes, it also has an educational purpose. It will help you become familiar with which numbers can and can’t factor, and what their factors are. Knowing prime numbers and being good at factoring makes it easier to do things like finding GCFs (greatest common factors) LCDs (least common denominators), working with fractions and ratios (especially cross-canceling and simplifying fractions) and can even be of benefit for long division.
Hand-drawn animation?
Yes. We know that most games today use purely computer generated artwork. Nonetheless, we create our animation using an unusual hybrid technique that begins with hand-drawn animation frames which are then scanned, processed with software, and brought to life in code. Craftsmanship, care, and thinking go into all parts of our games including the art, the music, the code, and the educational techniques.
How is Bubbly Primes different?
There’s certainly plenty of apps in the education category. The game category is truly gigantic. But, there’s not so many that manage to be both fun games and also have important educational value. Furthermore, the more advanced the material, and the older the kids, the less there is. Try searching for them. Finally, the focus on craftsmanship and the vision of creating a timeless classic really sets Bubbly Primes apart when so many developers are chasing the latest fad.
How do you play?
For the easiest way to see what the game looks like and how to play, watch the short how-to video. Bubbles float up from the bottom of the screen. If they contain numbers that can be factored (composite numbers), pop them by tapping on them before they reach the top of the screen. When 5 composite number bubbles reach the top of the screen, the game ends. On the other hand, for bubbles that cannot be factored (prime numbers), simply let them float to the top where they’ll give you more points. As your score gets higher, you’ll meet cute little critters that like to play with the bubbles.
I really would like to hear more about the educational part.
OK. This game teaches recognition of prime numbers and composite numbers, as well as the concept of factoring as “splitting up” numbers until they are reduced to primes. It reinforces knowledge of which prime factors a number is built from. Although students partly learn this when memorizing multiplication and division tables, that knowledge is applied, ingrained, and expanded in a practical way by recognizing factorability of numbers on sight. A fancy way of saying what this game does is that “It develops an intuitive sense for the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.”
You said “practical.” Learning prime numbers isn’t really of much practical importance, is it?
Prime numbers are of practical importance for many reasons; one of the most common is in working with fractions. In playing this game, one doesn’t really memorize prime numbers so much as get familiar with recognizing which numbers are prime. Reducing fractions depends on “seeing” common factors of numbers which in turn depends on familiarity with the prime decomposition of numbers. Adding and subtracting fractions requires the Least Common Denominator (LCD), which is found the same way. Seeing the Greatest Common Factors (GCF) of numbers makes multiplication of fractions much easier. It’s also important when reducing fractions to their simplest form. In fact, a comfortable ease with factoring, such as this game helps to provide, can make the difference between fractions being “easy” or “hard.”
Hmmm. So kids that play this would find it easier to learn fractions?
It’s also been tested by some grown-ups who told us they “weren’t good at math,” and didn’t want to try the game. But they liked playing it, and we believe it helped them get a little bit better at math too. It’s not only useful for fractions. Solving algebraic equations depends on the ability to factor numbers and recognize primes quickly. People who get comfortable spotting the factors of numbers learn to do algebra, geometry and then higher levels of math faster and easier. Learning these fundamental skills leads to deeper knowledge required for critical fields of study such as science, technology, and engineering as well as, of course, math (STEM), but also design and the arts. Prime numbers and factors of composite numbers are practical, in fact, they are essential.
What do you mean by “Big” Prime Numbers?
Enthusiastic players often find that before too long they are learning Prime Numbers in the 100s. Within days or weeks, they excitedly report working in the 200s and beyond. If you start to achieve fantastic results, we’d love to hear about it, or even see the screen shots.
Sounds good. How can I try it?
Bubbly Primes is now available on the App Store.
