Little Train Race 🚂

How to play

Two trains pull in, each carrying animal passengers. Your child counts and taps the train with more passengers (or presses the up or down arrow). Then a number pops up on every animal so you can count along together, and both trains race off with a happy chug.

Pick the train with fewer and it just goes "toot toot" while the other one glows. No points lost.

What it teaches

• Counting: one number for each passenger, shown on screen as you count along.
• Comparing groups: which group has more.
• Counting beats guessing by length (level 3): a longer train can carry fewer animals, because some seats are empty.

Curriculum links

For teachers and home educators, Little Train Race practices these Common Core math standards:

• K.CC.B.4: Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
• K.CC.B.5: Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things.
• 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.

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. Up to 5. One animal per wagon, so the longer train really is the busier one.
2. Up to 10. Two animals per wagon. Children count in pairs.
3. Tricky trains. The busier train is packed tight and the other has empty wagons. Length no longer gives the answer, so children must count.

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.
• Movement as the reward. The race is the same every time, a predictable treat rather than a random prize.
• Short rounds you can see. Six trips, shown as wagons at the top, then the trains rest.

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

Tips for parents and teachers

Common questions

Why does my child think the longer row has more?

Young children often judge "more" by how much space a row takes up, not by counting. It is a normal stage of development. Level 3 of Little Train Race is built for exactly this: the longer train has empty wagons, so the only way to be sure is to count the passengers.

What age is Little Train Race for?

Ages 4 to 7. Level 1 suits children counting to 5. Level 3 is a classic early math challenge: understanding that a longer row does not always mean more.

Is it suitable for children with ADHD?

Yes. There is no timer, no lives and no score, feedback is instant, rounds are short and visible, and there are only two choices per turn.

Is Little Train Race 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 →