About StarSlate

StarSlate offers twenty learning games for young children, with notes for the adults who play alongside them. It is free to use.

Who it is for

The games are aimed at children from about three to eight. The pages around them are written for parents, carers, grandparents and teachers. Every game lists the age range it is likely to suit, though children vary, and you will know best.

What the games are like

Each game is eight questions long and takes two or three minutes. A child can never fail. Wrong choices fade away and they try again. Stars are awarded at the end and kept on a chart, which many children find motivating.

We have kept the screens calm: a plain board, large buttons, no flashing and no sounds. Numbers stay small and words stay short, because being sure of the basics matters more at this age than racing ahead.

What the games are not

They are practice, not teaching. A game can give a child fifty goes at counting to ten, but it cannot explain what counting is. That part comes from you, and the notes on each page suggest how.

They are also not a replacement for real objects. Counting buttons, sorting socks and reading signs in the street are worth more than any screen. Where we can, we suggest things to do away from the device.

How the site is paid for

StarSlate may show advertising. Because the site is made for children, adverts are requested as non-personalised and child-directed, and they are kept outside the game area. The privacy page explains this.

Privacy in brief

No names, no accounts, no email addresses. The star chart is stored in the browser on your own device.

Contact

If you spot a mistake, or a question that is unclear or unfair, please tell us at hello@example.com. There is more on the contact page.