Ages and Starting Points

BEDMAS works as a family game for children aged 8 and up. For children aged 8 to 10, Easy mode with no timer is the right starting point — they can take their time, use the Hint button freely, and focus on understanding what makes a valid equation. By ages 11 to 13, most children are ready for Medium mode with a 90-second timer. Teenagers can usually handle Hard mode, though expect some frustration at first — that frustration is part of the learning process.

How to Play Together Effectively

The most effective parent-child format for BEDMAS is cooperative play against the AI: one player holds the device and places tiles, while the other suggests moves, and you discuss together why one option scores higher or occupies a better board position. This transforms the game into an active mathematics conversation without either person feeling taught at — you are both on the same side, and the AI is the common opponent.

Making It a Habit Without Making It a Chore

Research on informal math practice consistently shows that five 10-minute sessions spread across a week produce better skill retention than a single 50-minute session. BEDMAS sessions are naturally 10 to 20 minutes long, making them perfect for this pattern. Make it a short daily ritual — after dinner, before bed, during a commute — rather than a weekly commitment, and you will see arithmetic fluency improve noticeably within a month.

What to Talk About During Play

The richest learning happens in the conversation around the moves, not just in the moves themselves. Prompts that work well: "Why did the AI pick that move?" "If we had placed here instead, what score would we have got?" "Which bonus cell should we aim for next?" "What equation can we build from these tiles?" These questions build strategic thinking and mathematical reasoning simultaneously, far beyond what any worksheet can achieve.

Tracking Progress

Create a free account for your child so their high scores and win rate are tracked over time. Watching their personal best increase week by week is a powerful motivator. Celebrate improvements in score, not just wins — a child who scores 180 points against the Hard AI for the first time has achieved something genuinely difficult and deserves recognition regardless of whether they won the game.