🧮 I built Mateo a times tables game
Every Friday, Mateo (9) has a times tables test at school. 20 questions, 5 seconds to answer each one.
I wanted something better than another worksheet, so I described the game I had in mind to Claude (Anthropic's AI, the new Opus 5.5 version) in plain English.
The result was Tables Champ. It has a little orange mascot called Tally, a banner and confetti when you get 10 in a row, and a Friday test mode that copies the real thing.
Three minutes. One game. Two boys trying to beat each other’s scores. Mateo and his friend practised on it all week, and on Friday they both got 20 out of 20. The video shows how I built it without writing any code, the setting that made the difference, and three mistakes to avoid if you try this at home.
⏱️ The setting that made the difference
His friend went first on the twos at 5 seconds and got 17 out of 20.
The fours were harder, and the timer kept running out before he could answer. So I slowed it to 8 seconds. Mateo had the same problem with the threes, so we gave him 7 seconds and he got every single one right.
Then they did the real Friday test at the full 5 seconds, same as school, and both got 20 out of 20.
So if your child is stuck on a table: start it at 7 or 8 seconds, and only bring it back to 5 once they’re confident. Wrong answers come back a few questions later, so they get another go at the tricky ones.
It’s free, with no ads and no sign-up, and it works on a phone, tablet or laptop: play Tables Champ here.
Teachers, you’re welcome to use it in class too.
Talk soon,
Niall
