About Category Game
Sorting things into groups is one of the earliest forms of reasoning, and it underpins a great deal of later science and language work. This game names a category and asks the child to select everything that belongs, which requires holding the category in mind while evaluating each item - harder than it sounds when several near-misses are on screen.
What this game teaches
- Holding a category in mind while checking multiple items
- Deciding whether an item belongs based on its properties
- Distinguishing categories that overlap, such as animals and birds
- Checking work before submitting rather than answering impulsively
- Vocabulary across animals, birds, fruits and everyday objects
How to play
- A category is named at the top of the screen.
- Tap every item on the board that belongs to it.
- Tap again to deselect if you change your mind.
- Check your answer when you are done; ten rounds complete a level.
Before you start
A child should recognise the objects shown and know the category words. No reading beyond the category name is required.
For teachers
The overlapping categories are the interesting part - a bird is also an animal, and children who have been taught the categories as separate lists will get those wrong. That error is worth discussing rather than simply marking.
For parents
Sort things together at home - cutlery, laundry, toys. A child who has physically grouped objects finds the screen version straightforward.
Related games
- Decode the Words — Class 3-7
- Tic-Tac-Toe — Class 1-6
- 1 to 100 Digits — Class 1-4