Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, completely free. No subscription, no adverts, no in-app purchases. Donations are appreciated but never required. The game was built by a parent who wanted every family — regardless of income — to have access to great learning tools.

The game tracks your child's correct answers as a pocket money total — think of it as a digital tally chart. No real money is ever handled by the app. You set the rate per correct answer in the Parent Area (even 1p per answer adds up meaningfully). When you're ready to pay out, you tap the amount in the Parent Area to record the payment and subtract it from the running total. All payment decisions are yours entirely.

The game is designed for children aged 5 to 11 (Year 1 to Year 6) across six levels, though Level 6 extends into secondary-ready content for advanced learners. When you add a child profile, you enter their age and the game sets the appropriate starting level automatically. It then adjusts upwards and downwards based on performance.

Yes — the game is fully responsive and works on any internet-connected device. No download or app installation required. It works in the browser on iOS (Safari), Android (Chrome), desktops and laptops.

Yes. Spelling uses the KS1 Year 1 and Year 2 common word lists and the KS2 Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 statutory spelling lists (the 200 words all children are expected to know by end of primary). Maths covers Year 1 through Year 6 content: counting, addition/subtraction, all times tables (2× to 12×), fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, algebra and statistics. Reading covers comprehension skills from simple recall to inference, vocabulary and authorial intent — aligned to the KS1 and KS2 reading frameworks.

The game tracks correct and incorrect streaks in real time. Getting 15 correct answers in a row triggers a level-up (celebrated with an animation). Getting 3 incorrect answers in a row triggers a quiet level-down — no announcement, just a gentler set of questions. The game also "blends" levels — occasionally introducing harder questions when a child is on a good streak, or easier ones when they're struggling — to keep the challenge in the optimal zone.

On the second attempt, the game shows a hint — every other letter of the word — and reads the word aloud again. If they get it wrong again, on the third attempt a 50/50 multiple choice appears: the correct spelling and one distractor. This means children always have a supported path to the right answer. A first-attempt correct answer earns full pocket money points; second attempt earns half; third attempt (multiple choice) earns nothing — teaching the value of trying hard first time.

Yes, particularly for the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS) test and the KS2 Maths test. The game covers all statutory spelling words that appear in the GPS paper, and the maths questions at Levels 4–6 cover content directly assessed at Year 6 SATs. Regular daily practice throughout Year 6 — even just 10–15 minutes — will have a real impact on spelling and maths fluency.

It was specifically designed with ADHD learners in mind — the creator has ADHD themselves. Key ADHD-friendly features: short, fast questions with immediate feedback; visible, tangible rewards (pocket money totals) rather than abstract points; a daily question cap that creates a clear end point so children aren't overwhelmed; and instant positive feedback on every correct answer. Read our blog article on ADHD and reward-based learning for the neuroscience behind why this approach works.

Yes. The creator has dyslexia and built the game specifically to avoid the approaches that made their own schooling difficult. Every spelling word is read aloud with a full example sentence (supporting auditory processing); the hint system means wrong answers never result in a blank, unsupported failure; and struggle words are tracked privately in the parent area without any marks or shame visible to the child. See our dyslexia spelling article for more.

The maths game uses a multiple-choice fallback on incorrect answers, so children with dyscalculia always have a supported route to the correct answer. The automatic level adjustment means the game will drop to simpler questions if a child is struggling, rather than continuing to present questions at a frustrating level. For children with significant dyscalculia, we recommend using the game at a lower level than their age suggests and building gradually.

From the main game screen, tap the orange "Parent Area" button on the right-hand panel. The first time, you'll be asked to create a 4-digit PIN. After that, the PIN protects the area from children accessing it. If you forget your PIN, a maths challenge (at Level 6 difficulty) lets you reset it — designed so children can't easily bypass it.

Yes — in the Parent Area you can set a daily question cap for each game separately (spelling, maths and reading). For example, if the cap is set to 20 questions at 1p per answer, the maximum a child can score toward in that game is 20p per day. Once the cap is reached, that game is locked until tomorrow. Children can still attempt 5 bonus questions after the cap but these earn no pocket money.

Yes — add as many profiles as you like under one account. Each child has their own avatar, independent levels for all three games, separate pocket money totals, their own struggle word list, and their own 30-day progress chart. From the "Who's Playing?" screen, simply tap "Add New Player" and enter the child's name and age.

We store the absolute minimum: the child's first name (as entered by the parent), their age at sign-up, their current level in each game, their score totals, and their practice word list. We do not store surnames, school names, photographs, location data or any other personal information about your child. The parent's email address is stored for account access only. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

No. The Pocket Money Game has no adverts anywhere. No banner ads, no video ads, no sponsored content, no affiliate links to products. The game is funded entirely by optional donations from parents who find it valuable. We believe children's learning environments should be completely free of commercial interruption.

Yes. We collect only the minimum data required to operate the service. We do not share data with third parties. The account holder (parent) can delete their account and all associated data at any time by contacting us. Children's data is stored under the parent's account with no direct processing of children's data. See our Privacy Policy for full details.