Coordinates Game: Coordinates Treasure Hunt
Coordinates Treasure Hunt is a free pirate map game for learning coordinates. Take turns with Captain Calico, a friendly computer pirate, to dig for each other’s hidden treasure on a coordinate grid.
Coordinates Treasure Hunt
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- Ages
- 7–12
- School years
- 3rd Class–6th Class
- Skills
- Reading the coordinates of a point on a grid, with the x coordinate first, Plotting a point from its coordinates: along the x axis, then up the y axis, Spotting and fixing the common mistake of swapping x and y
- Time
- 5–10 minutes a game
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
- Updated
How to play Coordinates Treasure Hunt
- Choose a map: an easy 5 × 5 grid, a 10 × 10 grid, or a four-quadrant map with negative numbers from −5 to 5.
- On your turn, tap a spot on Calico’s island (or move the ❌ with the arrow keys), then call out its coordinates from four choices. Your crew digs where you say, so swapping x and y digs in the wrong place!
- On Calico’s turn he shouts a coordinate, such as (4, 2). Tap that spot on your own island and press Mark this spot (or Enter). Remember: along the corridor first, then up the stairs.
- After every dig, Polly the parrot points an arrow towards the nearest treasure. Watch out for sea monsters, which cost 5 coins. The first to find all three of the other side’s treasures wins.
What your child learns
- Reading the coordinates of a point on a grid, with the x coordinate first
- Plotting a point from its coordinates: along the x axis, then up the y axis
- Spotting and fixing the common mistake of swapping x and y
- Using all four quadrants with negative coordinates
- Using direction clues (a bigger or smaller x and y) to narrow down a search
- Logical search strategy, like the game Battleships
About Coordinates Treasure Hunt
Coordinates are one of those ideas that click quickly once children have a rule to hang them on. This game repeats one rule on every turn: along the corridor, then up the stairs. The x coordinate tells you how far to go along, and the y coordinate tells you how far to go up (or down, for negative numbers). After each answer a parrot walks the route on the map, along and then up, with the distances labelled, so children see what the two numbers mean.
Swapping the two numbers is the most common coordinates mistake, so the game makes it matter. When a child calls out (5, 3) for the point (3, 5), their crew digs at (5, 3), and the feedback explains that x always comes first. The easy 5 × 5 map with guide lines suits 3rd Class. The 10 × 10 map suits Classes 4–5, and the four-quadrant map with negative coordinates is for 6th Class and anyone who is ready for a challenge. There are no timers: children can take as long as they need on every turn.
Which level should my child play?
| School year | Suggested level |
|---|---|
| 3rd Class | Easy: 5 × 5 map |
| 4th Class | 10 × 10 map |
| 5th Class | 10 × 10 map |
| 6th Class | Four quadrants (−5 to 5) |
Move up a level after getting three stars two or three times in a row.
🏆 Leaderboard
Full leaderboard →Play a round to get on the board! Create a free account to save your scores.
Frequently asked questions
How do you remember which coordinate comes first?
Say “along the corridor, then up the stairs”. You walk along the corridor (the x axis) before you can climb the stairs (the y axis), so the x coordinate always comes first. (3, 5) means 3 along and 5 up.
How do you play Coordinates Treasure Hunt?
You and Captain Calico each hide three treasures. On your turn you pick a spot on his map and call out its coordinates, and your crew digs there. On his turn he shouts coordinates and you mark the spot on your map. The first to find all three treasures wins.
What happens if my child swaps x and y?
The crew digs where the child said, so (5, 3) instead of (3, 5) digs in a different place. The game shows the correct route along the corridor and up the stairs and explains that x comes first. Mistakes are listed at the end to look at again.
What are the four quadrants?
When the x and y axes cross in the middle, they split the grid into four parts called quadrants. Points to the left of the y axis have a negative x coordinate, and points below the x axis have a negative y coordinate, such as (−3, −2).
Is there a time limit?
No. Every turn waits for your child, so they can count carefully. You can play with a touch screen, a mouse or a keyboard (arrow keys move the ❌, keys 1 to 4 choose an answer and Enter marks a spot).
More games you’ll love
All maths games →Add numbers within 10, 20, 100 or 1,000.
Take away within 10, 20, 100 or 1,000.
Practise any times table from 2× to 12×.
Division facts and remainders.
Look, cover and spell words from memory.
Flip cards and find all the matching pairs.
Help your child shine in maths
Practice at home is a great start. Success Tutoring offers personalised tutoring to build skills and confidence.