A geoboard is a fun learning tool for kids, especially for elementary and middle school students. As there are many advantages associated with a geoboard, teachers often use it as a physical manipulative in classrooms. But sometimes, it is easier to use a virtual manipulative rather than deal with the challenges of using a physical tool. If you are an educator, or a parent, looking to introduce geoboard to your kids, you can begin by giving them a chance to work on an online geoboard which can be used just as the physical board, minus the associated hassles.
In this article, we have enlisted a few online geoboard games and apps which you can use in different learning environments to help students learn basic geometrical concepts. Let’s look at them in the following section.
Geoboard apps and games for a fun learning experience
1. Virtual Geoboard by Coco Games
Virtual geoboard is a game you can find on the Coco games website. It features a 5 x 5 geometric board that players can use to make different geometric shapes in multiple colors. While you can make shapes of your choice, a small section on the right-hand side of the layout presents unique geometric shape challenges. Kids can make simple designs, such as a rectangle or square, and other complicated shapes, such as pentagon or octagon. There are multiple keys to help kids customize their activity, for instance, colors, pencils, color fill, etc. The game is apt for young learners who are experiencing a virtual geoboard for the first time.
2. Geoboard by Toy Theatre
Geoboard by Toy Theatre is a colorful virtual geoboard game that can be used by kids at school or home. The game has a colorful layout that instantly grabs the attention of little children. It has simple and difficult design challenges, which are displayed below the geoboard. Kids can easily swipe through the designs and select the one they wish to try out. The game also offers multiple color choices to highlight virtual rubber bands stretched across the geoboard. A simple click allows players to switch colors. Besides making fun designs available with this geoboard, teachers can also use it to teach basic concepts such as shapes, polygons, and symmetry.
3. GeoBoard Coordinates Cartesian
This is the first geoboard app on our list. It is a free app with a few in-app purchases for those who want to access all tools within the app. It is a puzzle game that encourages children to use logic, coordination, and mathematical thinking. The game is designed to help students learn mathematical concepts in the form of a puzzle game. It has many interesting color combinations and is a fun educational game that keeps kids engaged for a long time. Pictures are shared on the screen, and players must make their exact copy on the geoboard. It also has a creator mode where players can use creativity to make their designs. The app also features geolines and geocords for additional educational activities.
App Link: Play store | App store
4. Geoboard by The Math Learning Center
This app developed by the Math Learning Center is free to use on iPad and Android devices. It is suitable for kids 4 years and older. The geoboard has a black background with numerous pegs to provide sufficient working space. Kids can learn and practice several math topics such as angles, area and perimeter, congruence, and so on. The tool is ideal for classroom and at-home learning sessions. Kids can select a geoboard of different shapes like a square, rectangle, or circular. They can drag and drop colorful rubber bands on the board and stretch them across the pegs to make their designs. The app also features tools such as text, pencil, and mathematical signs, which students can use as per the requirement.
App Link: App store
5. Geoboard by Nummolt
Geoboard by nummolt is a paid app available on the Google Play store. It costs $0.99 to use this educational app. It has a black colored board with several buttons at the bottom, each having different functions. The “0=0” button is used to insert new rubber bands on the board. The “T” button is to erase rubber bands. The “Col” button allows you to change the color of rubber bands, while the “A” button gives you options to select the correct area of the shape drawn. Kids can make any design they like, for example, squares within a square or a star with multiple vertices and try to figure out its area. Several users across the globe have downloaded this app as it is appropriate for people of all age groups.
App Link: Play store
6. Geoboard for Kids by Deity Kids
Here is another free app that can be used to perform geoboard activities. The app is available on the Google Play store and has a few in-app purchases. It is a teacher-approved app for young children between 2-7 years. The geoboard in this app is similar to a traditional wooden board with pegs on it. It has pre-designed sketches of patterns, shapes, and symbols for young children. Kids can use virtual rubber bands to trace different shapes on the geoboard. The app is excellent for promoting shape and symbol recognition and encourages kids to apply their visual-spatial skills. It is a decent choice for introducing geoboard activities to little kids.
App Link: Play store
7. Hands-on Math Geoboard
Ventura Educational Systems has developed this interesting virtual math manipulative. It is a paid app that requires you to pay $2.99. It is specifically designed for an iPad and is not compatible with Android devices. Children 4 years and older can use this virtual geoboard to make shapes and learn math concepts. On purchasing the app, you get an instructor’s guide with several activities suitable for elementary and middle school students. The app has a 5×5 pegboard where students can draw line segments, shapes, and even circles. The best feature of this app is a notepad found at the bottom right corner, which reflects the measurements of the shape drawn on the screen. Other tools like color selection, scale, and eraser are also present to assist kids in their activity.
App Link: App store
8. Geoboard Manipulative by Brainingcamp
Here is another geoboard manipulative specifically designed for an iPad. It is developed by Brainingcamp, LLC, and has an age rating of 4 plus years. It is compatible with iPad OS 9.0 or later. The app can be used by up to six members of a family if family sharing mode is on. Kids can stretch colorful virtual rubber bands over the white geoboard to explore various concepts. There is an option to choose between rectangular and circular boards in different sizes. Special features within the app include multi-colored bands, color fills, expanded boards, and different teaching ideas for educators. This app can be used for a wide range of math topics like simple 2-dimensional shapes to complex equivalent fractions. Since it is a paid app, one must spend $1.99 to use it on an iPad.
App Link: App store
9. Circular Geoboard by Ventura
Circular geoboard is another app by Ventura Educational Systems. Like some of the apps mentioned above, this one also works only on an iPad. It also enables family sharing and is a good deal at the cost of a few dollars. Students can explore geometrical concepts on the circular geoboard. It is a great tool to support classroom learning. A dice icon randomly generates designs that students can practice making on their own. There is a provision to record student progress as they try to work on their skills. Students can also use a protractor to calculate different angles made by a polygon. Additional features such as speech and sound make this app all the more fun!
App Link: App store
Wrapping up,
A geoboard appears to be a simple tool, but it is highly versatile. It has a wide scope that covers numerous math concepts. That’s probably one of the reasons why geoboards are so popular. While some people are comfortable using a store-bought geoboard, others prefer to take it up as a DIY project. Then there are others who want a tool with quick and easy access. That’s when geoboard online games and apps come in handy. So, don’t wait any longer. Download a few of your favorites and let the fun begin!
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.