Skip Counting is a free online skip counting game that runs in the browser with no download and no account. A pond of numbered stones lies in front of you and the level names the count: up by three from three, up by four from seven, down by nine from a hundred and eight. Step on the stones in that order to cross. The stones that are not on the count are the part that makes this practice rather than a pattern-spotting exercise — every one of them sits within a step or two of a real stone, so 21 and 22 and 23 are all in the pond when you are counting by threes. There is no way to cross by picking whichever number looks about the right size; you have to add the step. The first four levels count up from a multiple, the middle ones start from an offset so the familiar times-table rhythm does not carry you, three count downward, and the last three take the numbers off the stones you have already used so the running total is yours to hold. Twelve levels, a clock, and a splash costs two seconds rather than a life.
How to play Skip Counting
- Press Start. The line above the pond names the count — for example "Count up by 3 from 3".
- Tap the first stone of the count, then each following one. The trail above the pond keeps a record of where you have been.
- Stones you have stepped on turn green and cannot be used again, so the pond thins out as you go.
- Tapping a wrong stone makes a splash: two seconds off the clock, and the line tells you the number you actually needed.
- Cross the whole count before the clock empties to unlock the next level.
- From level five the count starts somewhere that is not a multiple of the step, so 7, 11, 15 rather than 4, 8, 12.
- Levels eight, nine and twelve count downward instead of up.
- On the last three levels the stones you have used lose their number and keep only a dot, so you have to carry the running total yourself.
- Restart replays the same pond; New Pond lays out a different one at the same level.
Tips
- Say the count out loud, or under your breath. Skip counting is a rhythm, and the rhythm does more work than the arithmetic.
- For the offset levels, count the step from where you are rather than trying to recognise the number. 7, 11, 15 is not the four times table, and treating it like one is what causes splashes.
- Big steps are easier through their parts: counting by 25 is two 10s and a 5, and by 12 is a 10 and a 2.
- When counting down, watch for the crossing of a ten. Ninety take six is the one people misjudge; eighty-four take six is easy again.
- The wrong stones are always near a real one, so a number that is far from anything on your count is not a trap — it is a stone from further along.
- On the fading levels, glance at the trail chips instead of the pond. They are in order even when the numbers are gone, so counting the dots tells you how far along you are.
- Two seconds a splash adds up fast. One extra beat of adding the step is nearly always cheaper than a guess.
FAQ
Is Skip Counting free to play?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy. All twelve levels are included and unlock as you clear them.
Which counts does it cover?
Twos, threes, fives and tens to start, then fours, sixes and sevens from a non-multiple start, counting down by sixes and nines, and finally twelves and twenty-fives. Both upward and downward counts are included.
What age is this for?
Counting by twos, fives and tens is early primary work, so around ages five to seven for the first levels. The offset starts, the downward counts and the fading trail push it into upper primary and stay interesting for an adult.
Are the wrong stones just random numbers?
No, and this is deliberate. Every wrong stone sits within a step or two of a number that really is on the count, so the pond cannot be crossed by picking whichever number looks about right. Random distractors would let a player skip the counting entirely.
Can two stones ever be right at the same time?
No. The generator never places a wrong stone on a value that is genuinely on the count, so at every moment exactly one stone is correct.
What happens when I step on a wrong stone?
A splash: the clock loses two seconds, the stone stays in the pond, and the line above tells you the number you needed. Your trail is untouched, so nothing is undone.
Why do the numbers disappear on the last levels?
Once a stone is used it keeps only a dot, so you cannot read your position off the board and have to hold the running count. It is the same idea as the blind rungs in Subtraction Sprint — the arithmetic is unchanged, only the memory aid is gone.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The pond scales to whichever screen dimension is tighter, the stones stay thumb-sized in portrait, and everything is a single tap.