Dragon Snack: a free greater than, less than game
A hungry baby dragon always wants the bigger snack. Your child taps the cookie with the larger number, or the plate with more candies, and the dragon gobbles it up.
- Comparing numbers
- 10 levels
- Free · no sign-up
How to play Dragon Snack
- 1
Look at both plates
Two plates slide in: numbers on cookies, or piles of candies on the quantity levels.
- 2
Pick the bigger one
Tap the plate with the bigger number or more candies, or press the left or right arrow key.
- 3
See why
Right: the dragon chomps and its belly meter fills. Wrong: the dragon sniffs the smaller plate and both amounts are shown side by side, such as 7 < 13.
What Dragon Snack practices: comparing numbers and amounts
Knowing at once which of two numbers is bigger is one of the skills children with dyscalculia most often find hard. It rests on two skills: comparing written numbers, and comparing amounts without counting. Dragon Snack alternates between the two.
The number levels go from single digits far apart (2 to 9) to two-digit numbers only 2 to 11 apart and four-digit numbers 20 to 120 apart. The candy levels show 5 to 24 candies per plate, starting with one pile at least twice the other and ending with piles only 20% apart. The rules are the same as the comparison exercises in the Dyscalculia.io program.
There is no timer and no lives. After a miss the right plate glows and the child taps it, so every question ends with the bigger amount chosen.
Not sure which skill to start with? Take the free dyscalculia test — five short games, under 5 minutes, and a profile of five number skills.
All 10 levels of Dragon Snack
Pick a level under the game. The levels are the same steps as in the Dyscalculia.io program, from easy to hard; each round makes 10 new questions.
| Level | What your child practices |
|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 2–9, far apart (one at least 1.5 times the other) |
| 2 | Candy piles of 5–24, one at least twice the other |
| 3 | Numbers up to 41 |
| 4 | Candy piles, one at least 1.5 times the other |
| 5 | Two-digit numbers 2 to 11 apart (e.g. 57 vs 54) |
| 6 | Candy piles, one at least a third bigger |
| 7 | Three-digit numbers 5 to 30 apart |
| 8 | Candy piles, one at least a quarter bigger |
| 9 | Four-digit numbers 20 to 120 apart |
| 10 | Candy piles only 20% apart |
Common mistakes in Dragon Snack and what they tell you
Picking the number with bigger digits
Choosing 29 over 31 because 9 is bigger than 1 means place value is not yet secure. Compare the tens first, then the ones.
Counting the candies one by one
On the candy levels the point is to judge without counting. If your child counts, play the first levels faster and ask for a guess.
Getting near numbers wrong
Mistakes between close numbers such as 54 and 57 are expected on the harder levels; the side-by-side display after a miss shows the difference.
Tips for parents: getting the most out of Dragon Snack
- On the candy levels, ask your child not to count: the point is to judge which pile looks like more.
- On the number levels, ask which number would come later when counting. That links the comparison to the number line.
- Use the symbols: after a round, write a few of the pairs with > or < together.
- Compare things at home too: which bag has more apples, which shelf has more books, which price is higher.
Printable comparing numbers worksheets
Take Dragon Snack off the screen: the same skill as free PDF worksheets, from dots and pictures to numbers, with an answer key on the last page.
All 26 free dyscalculia worksheets → · Free to share (CC BY 4.0) — Dyscalculia.io
More free dyscalculia games
Dragon Snack: questions parents ask
Is Dragon Snack free?
Yes. Dragon Snack is free to play in the browser, with no account, no download and no ads. The paid part is the Dyscalculia.io program, which adds a daily plan, spaced review and saved progress.
Why compare piles of dots without counting?
Judging which group has more without counting uses the approximate number sense that maths builds on. Children with dyscalculia often find this harder than their classmates, so it is worth practising directly.
Does Dragon Snack work on a tablet or phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern browser and works with a finger, a mouse or the keyboard. On a phone, turn it sideways for the biggest picture.
What age is Dragon Snack for?
The first levels, with numbers 2 to 9, suit children from about 5. The two- to four-digit levels suit primary and lower secondary school.