Rocket to the Bigger Planet 🚀

How to play

Two planets float in space, each showing stars or a number. Your child taps the planet with more (or presses the left or right arrow). The rocket fires its engine, sparkles fly, and it zooms across to land on that planet. Then you hear the sentence: 8 is more than 5.

Tap the planet with less and the rocket just sputters while the right planet glows. No points lost.

What it teaches

• Comparing numbers independently, moving from counting objects to reading numbers.
• Matching a quantity to a numeral (level 3): is 7 stars more than the number 5?
• Two digit numbers (level 4): compare the tens first.

Curriculum links

For teachers and home educators, Rocket to the Bigger Planet practices these Common Core math standards:

• K.CC.C.6: Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group.
• K.CC.C.7: Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.
• 1.NBT.B.3: Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <.

In the UK this is Reception and Year 1 math. In India it matches the "more and less" and number comparison chapters of Class 1 and Class 2.

The levels

1. Count the stars. Up to 10 stars on each planet.
2. Read the numbers. Numbers up to 20, no stars to count.
3. Stars or numbers. One planet shows stars, the other a number. Children connect the two.
4. Big numbers. Numbers from 10 to 99.

Why it works for kids with ADHD and autism

This game follows the same research we use for the TimeNinja app, which is built for ADHD brains. Children with ADHD and autistic children often learn best with instant feedback, one clear choice, a predictable pattern and a short round with a visible end, so:

• No timer, no lives, no score. Speed pressure and losing lives add stress, not learning.
• One decision at a time. Left or right. That is the whole game.
• Instant feedback. Every tap gets a sound, a picture and a spoken sentence straight away.
• Mistakes are hints, not failures. A wrong tap gets a gentle wobble and a glow on the right answer, never a red cross.
• A big, predictable payoff. The same launch, sparkles and landing every time: exciting, but never a random prize.
• Short rounds you can see. Six flights, shown as rockets at the top, then the rocket comes home.

More on this in our guide: learning games for kids with ADHD and autism.

Tips for parents and teachers

Common questions

How do kids compare two digit numbers?

Look at the tens first. 52 is more than 38 because 5 tens beats 3 tens, whatever the ones are. Only when the tens match, as in 43 and 47, do you compare the ones. Level 4 of the rocket game gives plenty of both kinds of pairs.

What age is Rocket to the Bigger Planet for?

Ages 4 to 8. Level 1 is for children counting to 10. Level 4 suits children comparing numbers up to 100.

Is it suitable for children with ADHD?

Yes. There is no timer, no lives and no score, feedback is instant, and the only choice is left or right.

Is Rocket to the Bigger Planet suitable for autistic children?

Yes, it was designed with autistic children in mind as well as children with ADHD. Every round follows the same predictable pattern, there is one clear instruction at a time, nothing flashes, there are no pop-ups or ads, sound and voice turn off with one tap, and the game ends at a clear, visible point, which makes moving on easier. As with any activity, follow your child's lead.

Is it free? Do I need an account?

It is completely free, with no ads, no account and no email. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, and nothing your child does leaves the device.

Does it work without sound?

Yes. Every sentence is also shown on screen in large text. Tap the speaker button to turn sound and voice off.

See all ADHD and autism games →