Pattern Train Game
Pattern Train is a free early math game about repeating patterns. A train of carriages carries a pattern of shapes, animals or sounds, such as red circle, blue square, red circle, blue square. Children add the carriage that comes next, find a missing carriage, and make their own pattern for Sunny the star to carry on.
Pattern Train
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- Ages
- 3–6
- School years
- Junior Kindergarten–Grade 1
- Skills
- Copying, continuing and finishing repeating patterns (AB, AAB, ABB, ABC, AABB), Finding the unit of repeat: the part of a pattern that repeats, Finding a missing part in the middle of a pattern
- Time
- 5 minutes a game
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
- Updated
How to play Pattern Train
- Choose a level and press Play. Level 1 has AB, AAB and ABB patterns, Level 2 has ABC and AABB patterns, and Level 3 adds growing patterns.
- Look at the train and say the pattern out loud. Then tap the carriage that comes next, or drag it onto the empty space at the end of the train. Keyboard players can press 1, 2, 3 or 4.
- Some trains have a missing carriage in the middle, and some need two more carriages. If you choose the wrong one, the train sings the pattern to you so you can try again.
- When the train is right, the part that repeats lights up and the train choo-choos away. On the last train, make your own pattern and check whether Sunny carries it on the right way.
What your child learns
- Copying, continuing and finishing repeating patterns (AB, AAB, ABB, ABC, AABB)
- Finding the unit of repeat: the part of a pattern that repeats
- Finding a missing part in the middle of a pattern
- Creating a pattern and checking someone else’s
- Growing patterns: one more (or two more) each time
- Saying patterns out loud, an early algebra habit
About Pattern Train
Spotting and continuing patterns is one of the first steps into algebra, and it is part of the early years and Kindergarten math curriculum in Australia, the UK and the US. Pattern Train starts with simple AB patterns (cat, dog, cat, dog) and builds up to AAB, ABB, ABC and AABB. Every train shows the repeating part at least twice, so there is always exactly one right answer. When a train is finished, the game shows the unit of repeat, for example “red circle, blue square | red circle, blue square”, which is the key idea teachers look for in Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten.
Each piece has its own shape as well as its own colour, so children who find some colours hard to tell apart can still play. Sound trains use a drum, a bell, a clap and a shaker, so children can hear patterns as well as see them. Level 3 introduces growing patterns (1, 2, 3, 4 blocks), which lead on to counting on and number patterns in Grade 1. There is no timer, wrong answers are turned into a sing-along of the pattern, and the last train of every game lets children make their own pattern for Sunny, then decide whether Sunny got it right.
Which level should my child play?
| School year | Suggested level |
|---|---|
| Junior Kindergarten | Level 1: AB, AAB and ABB patterns with shapes, animals and sounds |
| Kindergarten | Level 2: ABC and AABB patterns, two carriages at a time and missing carriages |
| Grade 1 | Level 3: growing patterns (1, 2, 3 blocks…) and harder repeating patterns |
Move up a level after getting three stars two or three times in a row.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an AB pattern?
An AB pattern repeats two things: red, blue, red, blue, or cat, dog, cat, dog. An AAB pattern repeats three things where the first one comes twice (clap, clap, stamp), and an ABC pattern repeats three different things.
What is the unit of repeat?
The unit of repeat is the smallest part of a pattern that repeats, such as “red, blue” in red, blue, red, blue. Finding the unit is the most important pattern skill, so the game highlights it after every train.
What is a growing pattern?
In a growing pattern each step changes by the same amount, for example 1 block, 2 blocks, 3 blocks, 4 blocks. Level 3 has growing patterns that go up by one or by two.
What age is Pattern Train for?
Level 1 suits children aged 3 to 4, Level 2 suits ages 4 to 5, and Level 3 suits ages 5 to 6. Younger children may like an adult to say the pattern out loud with them.
Is it colour-blind friendly?
Yes. Every colour always comes with its own shape (red circles, blue squares, yellow triangles and so on), so the pattern can be seen without telling colours apart.
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Help your child shine in math
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