Binary Blitz: a free binary numbers game
Computers store every number as a row of 0s and 1s. In Binary Blitz your child flips eight switches, worth 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1, until the switches that are on add up to the target. Twenty rounds start with numbers up to 15 and finish with numbers up to 255, against a shrinking timer.
Ages
8–12
Price
Free
Account
Not needed
Runs in
Your browser
Works with a mouse, a touchscreen or the keyboard: keys 1 to 8 flip the switches and Enter checks the answer.
How to play
- 1Read the target number.
- 2Flip switches on until the values that are on add up to the target.
- 3Press Submit (or Enter) before the timer runs out. You have three lives, and Hint shows the answer.
What your child practises
- Place value in binary: 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1
- Converting numbers from 0 to 255 into binary
- Quick mental addition under a time limit
Curriculum link
- “Understand how numbers can be represented in binary, and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers”
A tip for parents and teachers
Binary is a Key Stage 3 topic, so this is a head start for Years 5 and 6. Show your child the trick: start with the biggest switch that still fits, subtract it, and repeat.
