Information For Parents and Teachers

Camau Cyfri is part of a collection of Welsh language websites for children aged 5-7. Other resources for key stage 1 include:

• Astro Antics (Welsh second language)
• Doctor Dot (Science)
• Peiriant Amser (History)
• Y Goeden Greu (Welsh first language)

Camau Cyfri is made up of three sets of interactive maths games designed to encourage strategic mathematical thinking and problem solving.

Follow Rabbit, Fox and Bird as they go in search of adventure in a magical world full of numbers and strange creatures.

Remember:
• the games get more difficult once you reach the fourth level
• the number of turns that win a gold medal vary from game to game.

Rabbit
These are number line activities where you make sure Rabbit lands on the tasty vegetables and avoids the monsters. Rabbit reads out the addition and subtraction calculations as he jumps backwards and forwards.

The mathematical concepts explored in this activity include:
• counting on and back
• addition and subtraction
• odd and even numbers
• multiples
• patterns and numbers sequences
• repeated addition and subtraction
• multiplication and division.

Fox
These games resemble counting activities in which children use objects like counters, beads or blocks to do number work. The aim of these games is to fill spaceships with the correct number of weird alien creatures called Wiblod.

The mathematical concepts explored in this activity include:
• counting on and back
• addition and subtraction
• odd and even numbers
• multiples
• doubling and halving
• multiplication and division.

Bird
These games resemble classroom activities where children use interlocking cubes to help them with their number work. The aim of these games is to guide strange creatures called Cogiaid to the treasure room. The Cogiaid have to be arranged so that the rectangles they form are the correct size and shape to move on to the next part of the activity.

The mathematical concepts explored in this activity include:
• counting on and back
• addition and subtraction
• odd and even numbers
• multiples
• doubling and halving
• multiplication and division.

There are two kinds of activities associated with each animal:

Games
The games contain defined tasks where children are asked to solve problems in as few turns as possible. A gold, silver or bronze prize is awarded depending on how many turns they take. Games can be played in any order. The tenth game in each level is locked and you have to win a gold prize in the other nine games in order to unlock it.

Explore activities
Open-ended tasks that give children the chance to explore and to learn problem solving skills.

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Rabbit

In these number line games you're asked to make Rabbit jump about a number line so that he lands on the tasty vegetables and avoids the monsters. These activities show how adding and subtracting can be understood as moving along a number line in the same way that children in school use number lines to learn about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Rabbit's Games
Click on the cup sign to play the games. The aim of these games is to make Rabbit eat all the vegetables on the number line in as few turns as possible. The puzzles in the games are predefined and objects cannot be changed, added or removed.

There are 60 games. Game 1 is the easiest and game 60 is the hardest. The games are arranged in 6 groups of 10 games of a similar level of difficulty:
• sunny (1 to 10)
• night (11 to 20)
• snowy (21 to 30)
• sunset (31 to 40)
• space (41 to 50)
• city (51 to 60).

Games can be played in any order. The tenth game in each level is locked and you have to win a gold cup in the other nine games in order to unlock it.

Rabbit's Explore Activities
Click on the balloon sign on Rabbit's path to choose the open-ended Explore Activities. In these activities you can create your own puzzles. You can move and change the vegetables, monsters and trampolines already placed on number line as well as adding more of your own.

Explore 1 (left balloon) gives feedback on:
• counting on and back in 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 10s
• odd and even numbers
• doubling
• simple inverse operations.

Explore 2 (right balloon) gives feedback on:
• counting on and back in 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s
• multiples of 2, 5 and 10
• inverse operations.

Fox

These activities show how numbers can be understood as countable objects which can be grouped together. The strange alien creatures called Wiblod are the equivalents of the counters, beads and blocks that children often use to learn about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in the classroom. Your task is to help Fox fill the spaceships with the correct number of Wiblod in as few turns as possible.

Fox's Games
Click on the cup sign to play the games. Help Fox fill the spaceships with the correct number of Wiblod in the lowest number of turns. The number of Wiblod required is displayed on the ships. In some games you must fill the spaceship according to the rule displayed on the side of the ship e.g. only even numbers or only multiples of 10.

There are 60 games. Game 1 is the easiest and game 60 is the hardest. The games are arranged in 6 groups of 10 games of a similar level of difficulty:
• cloud (1 to 10)
• beach (11 to 20)
• canyon (21 to 30)
• castle (31 to 40)
• pyramid (41 to 50)
• forest (51 to 60).

Games can be played in any order. The tenth game in each level is locked and you have to win a gold cup in the other nine games in order to unlock it.

A turn consists of:
• adding Wiblod to the crater
• subtracting Wiblod from the crater
• emptying the crater using the clear button
• flying the spaceship over the crater.

Fox's Explore Activities
Click on the balloon signpost to play three open-ended explore activities. Ships and bottles are initially set up to encourage exploration of a specific concept, but there are no preset goals. They are designed to be played by children on their own, with another child or with a parent or mentor.

There are three explore activities:

Explore 1 (Orange spaceship)
Fill the holes in the peg ship with the number of Wiblod that matches the number written on its side. Once you have filled the ship a new, empty ship appears. This activity gives feedback on:
• counting on and back in 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 10s.
• doubling.

Explore 2 (Green spaceship)
Fill the empty spaceship with any number of Wiblod that you want. Once you have filled the ship a new, empty ship appears. This activity gives feedback on:
• counting on and back in 2s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s and 10s

Explore 3 (Red spaceship)
Fill the rule ship with numbers of Wiblod that obey the rule written on its side. Once you have filled the ship a new, empty ship appears.
The rules include:
• odd numbers (odrifau)
• even numbers (eilrifau)
• multiples of 2 (lluosrifau 2)
• multiples of 5 (lluosrifau 5)
• multiples of 10 (lluosrifau 10)
• numbers ending in 0 (rhifau'n gorffen â 0).

This activity gives feedback on:
• multiples of 2, 5 and 10
• odd and even numbers
• numbers ending in 0.

Bird

These games resemble classroom activities where children arrange interlocking cubes in different numbers of rows and columns. The computer equivalents of these cubes are strange creatures called Cogiaid and your task is to guide them through a series of puzzles in order to reach the treasure room.

Bird's Games
Click on the cup sign to play the games. Help Bird get the Cogiaid to the treasure in the lowest number of turns. The Cogiaid have to travel through a series of rooms on their way to the treasure room and the challenge facing you is to make the rectangle or square of Cogiaid the right size so that it can move from one room to the next. Use the objects placed in the rooms to arrange the Cogiaid into right shape and size to get through the door.

There are 60 games. Game 1 is the easiest and game 60 is the hardest. The games are arranged in 6 groups of 10 games of a similar level of difficulty:
• Lava (1 to 10)
• Crystal (11 to 20)
• Desert (21 to 30)
• Jungle (31 to 40)
• Creepy crawly (41 to 50)
• Cog (51 to 60).

Games can be played in any order. The tenth game in each level is locked and you have to win a gold cup in the other nine games in order to unlock it.

Rotate Button

Click on this (or press the space bar on the keyboard) to rotate the Cogiaid through a quarter turn.

Rearrange Button

Click on this to rearrange the Cogiaid into a rectangle of a different length and width.

Re-start Room Button

This enables you to start the puzzle in the current room from the beginning.

Move Buttons

Click on the move buttons (or use the arrow keys on the keyboard) to move the Cogiaid.

Map
The map in the right hand panel shows the rooms in the present game. Click on a room to view it.

Game Objects
The games contain the following objects.

Door

Doors allow the Cogiaid to pass into the next room. The rectangle of Cogiaid can only pass through a door if it is the same width as that door.

Whirlpool

Whirlpools allow a certain number of Cogiaid to pass into the next room. The rectangle of Cogiaid must contain the exact number displayed on the whirlpool in order to pass through it.

Tunnel

The rectangle of Cogiaid must be the same size and shape as the tunnel in order to pass through it.

Adding Machine

This object adds more Cogiaid. The rectangle of Cogiaid must be the same width as the machine in order for it to work.

Subtracting Machine

This object subtracts Cogiaid. The rectangle of Cogiaid must be the same width as the machine in order for it to work.

Halving Machine

This halves the number of Cogiaid. The rectangle can be any shape and size.

Doubling Machine

This doubles the number of Cogiaid. The rectangle can be any shape and size.

Multiplying Machine

This multiplies the number of Cogiaid by the number of squares in its width.

Dividing Machine

This divides the number of Cogiaid by the number of squares in its width.

Remember:
• the secret of these games is to find the fastest route to the treasure room
• you don't have to visit every room in the more difficult games so click on the map to work out the best route
• in some harder games you need to subtract Cogiaid until there are none left - you will be able to add to them but not to subtract, multiply or divide
• doubling and halving numbers is faster than repeatedly adding and subtracting.

Bird's Explore Activities
Click on the balloon sign on Bird's path to chooose the Explore activities. They are open-ended games where there are no preset goals and children are encouraged to explore and 'do their own thing'. They are designed to be played by children on their own, with another child or with a parent or mentor.

Change the existing puzzles by altering the properties of the objects placed in the rooms. To change an object, click on it and then use the plus and minus buttons that appear to make it larger or smaller.

You can also add new objects by clicking on the icons in the right hand panel of the screen and drag it to the room. Use the plus and minus buttons to adapt the object. Remove objects from rooms by clicking on them and dragging them from there.

Add a new room by placing a doorway in a wall and moving the Cogiaid through it.

When a red ballon appears, move the Cogiaid towards it to start a new explore activity.

Explore 1
Click on the left hand balloon to play it. This is a good place to start.

Change the objects already placed in the rooms.

Add doors, adding machines and subtracting machines. The icons are in the right hand panel.

Explore 1 includes feedback on:
• counting on in 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 10s
• simple inverse operations.

Explore 2
Click on the right hand balloon to play it.

Change the objects already placed in the rooms.

Add doors, tunnels, whirpools and adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, doubling and halving machines. The icons are in the right hand panel.

Explore 2 includes feedback on:
• counting on in 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s
• multiples of 2, 5 and 10
• inverse operations.