How to Play Goalkeeper

Goalkeeper puts you in goal for a penalty shoot-out, and every save becomes counting practice.

What is Goalkeeper?

Tap the screen to make the goalie jump at the right moment and stop the ball. Each save is added to a ten frame at the top of the screen. After ten penalty kicks, count the saves on the ten frame and choose the matching number.

How to play Goalkeeper

Tap the screen or click to make the goalie jump.

Step by step

1. Watch the kicker and the ball.
2. Tap to jump just before the ball reaches the goal.
3. Each save fills a box on the ten frame.
4. After ten kicks, count the filled boxes.
5. Choose the matching number.

Strategy tips to play better

• Wait for the ball to start moving before you tap; jumping too early is the most common mistake.
• On the ten frame, a full top row is 5. Count on from 5 for the bottom row.
• Empty boxes tell you how many you missed: 10 minus the empty boxes equals your saves.

What kids learn

• Counting to 10
• Ten frames
• Number bonds to 10
• Reaction timing

For parents and teachers

Ideal for preschool to grade 1. The ten frame makes it easy to see numbers like 7 as 5 and 2.

Rules & goal

It’s easy to play! Just tap the screen to jump at the right time and keep the other team from scoring. See how many balls you’re able to stop at the top of the screen. Each ball you stop will be added to a 10-frame. After attempting to stop ten goals, students have to count how many balls they stopped and choose the corresponding numeral.

This game is perfect for young students who are learning to count. It’s also great practice for students who have already been introduced to the ten-frame. The ten-frame is a tool that helps students master fluency with numbers from 1-10. It also introduces the concept of addition, as students can easily divide the ten-frame into two chunks of five. For example, students might see that one five-frame is full, and the second five-frame has only 2 balls. So, they add 5 + 2 = 7. Or, similarly, students may see that 2 squares of the ten are empty, resulting in the equation of 10 - 2 = 8. This can happen naturally within the child’s thought processes as they practice using the ten-frame.

As an extra challenge, ask students to write down an equation for each round of goalie they play!