Mengenpiraten

Ahoy! Käpt’n Coral is looking for a crew

Before children can calculate, they need to be able to compare. “More than”, “less than”, “the same as” – this foundation decides whether numbers will later make sense or simply be memorised. Mengenpiraten wraps exactly that step into a pirate adventure: roll the dice, lay gold coins on the deck, look closely. Who has more? Who has less? Do we have the same?

Six islands, one learning staircase

The six islands build on one another and follow proven primary-school teaching practice:

• Shell Bay – compare dice dots from zero to five, including the empty set; lines show every pair
• Palm Beach – one die up to six, the lines only appear on request
• Rock Island – two dice, quantities up to twelve, with lines for support
• Fog Island – memorise first, then compare: the child decides when the fog rolls in
• Volcano Island – digits instead of dice pictures
• Treasure Island – the mathematical signs >, < and =

Until Treasure Island, the result is shown in words (“4 more than 2”); only then do the signs arrive. After three games won, the next island opens up – and sailing back is always possible.

The power of five, the ten-frame in the treasure chest and one-to-one matching are built in throughout. Matching lines appear exactly when a child needs them, and fade away again as soon as they can manage without.

Made for children – even before reading

Every instruction is spoken aloud and can be repeated at any time. The app is fully voiced in six languages – German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian – not just the menus, but every single spoken sentence.

Mistakes trigger friendly hints, never penalties. There are no timers, no lives and no red. When a child corrects themselves, that is exactly what gets praised.

Two players, one iPad

In partner mode the tablet lies between two children and they play against each other. And the most valuable thing happens all by itself: they start talking about mathematics. “I have two more than you!” is a better learning moment than any worksheet.

The crew

Ten animals are up for selection – Tintje the octopus, Zacko the shark, Wella the dolphin, Paddel the turtle, Knax the crab, Bobbel the pufferfish, Finn the seal, Zisch the squid, Flunk the fish and Mona the whale. Each animal has its own progress, so siblings never get in each other’s way. In single play, Piet the parrot takes on the challenge – and he sometimes miscounts, so the child gets to help him.

For parents

A separate area behind an adult gate shows the learning status as a traffic light that never turns red, along with progress per island and settings for sound, music, subtitles and hints. Playing time is tracked quietly – as information, not as leverage.

Why iPad only?

The vertical game board, the large touch areas and above all the partner mode need the space of a tablet. On a phone, two children side by side simply wouldn’t work.

Safe for children

No ads. No in-app purchases. No external links. The app works entirely offline – all data stays on the device and can be deleted at any time in the parents’ area.