Greater or Less: A Game to Compare Quantities

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Start screen of the quantity comparison game with two groups of drawn characters and the greater than sign between them, next to a river and a volcano.

Greater or Less: A Game to Compare Quantities

Q: How do you read the greater than and less than signs?

They're read from left to right: 7 > 4 reads “seven is greater than four” and 3 < 5 reads “three is less than five”. The open side of the sign always faces the bigger number.

Q: How do you explain greater and less to a child?

Start with real objects (toys, blocks, cookies) and ask where there are more. Once they've got it, introduce the crocodile and, finally, the written signs. This game fits right into that last step.

Q: What do I do if both groups have the same amount?

Then neither is greater or less: you use the equal sign (=).

About Greater or Less

Learning greater and less is much easier when there's something to count. In this game, two groups of pictures appear and the child has to decide which one has more items, placing the correct sign between them: greater than (>), less than (<) or equal to (=). It's a visual way to go from “there are more here” to writing it with math symbols, exactly the step that's hardest in preschool and first grade. You'll find more activities with numbers and operations in our section of math games.

The characters are drawn in a fun way and sometimes appear mixed together, so a quick glance isn't enough: you have to count calmly. That little challenge is exactly what turns each round into a great attention exercise for the early grades.

How do you play Greater or Less?

Look at the two groups of characters on the screen.
Count how many there are on each side.
Choose the right sign: > if the left group has more, < if it has fewer, = if they're the same.
Check if you got it right and move on to the next comparison.

Greater or Less controls

PC

Mouse click: choose the greater than, less than or equal sign

Mobile and tablet

Screen tap: select the sign

What do you learn in Greater or Less?

Count objects one by one without skipping any.
Compare quantities and use the words more, fewer and equal.
Recognize and use the greater than, less than and equal signs.
Visual attention when the characters are mixed up or overlapping.

Recommended from age 4.

Tips for playing better: Greater or Less

The crocodile trick: imagine the sign is the open mouth of a very hungry crocodile; it always opens toward the bigger group, because it wants to eat more.
Count from one side to the other: always start at the left of the group and move in order so you don't count the same character twice.
Make pairs: if the groups look similar, mentally pair up one character from each side; the group with some left over is the bigger one, and if none are left, they're equal.
For the little ones, encourage them to say the whole sentence out loud: “eight is greater than six”.

Greater or Less FAQ

How do you read the greater than and less than signs?

They're read from left to right: 7 > 4 reads “seven is greater than four” and 3 < 5 reads “three is less than five”. The open side of the sign always faces the bigger number.

How do you explain greater and less to a child?

Start with real objects (toys, blocks, cookies) and ask where there are more. Once they've got it, introduce the crocodile and, finally, the written signs. This game fits right into that last step.

What do I do if both groups have the same amount?

Then neither is greater or less: you use the equal sign (=).

Additional information: Greater or Less

Game type: Educational math, counting and comparing quantities
Recommended age: Ages 4 to 6
Technology: HTML5
Platform: Web browser (PC, tablet and mobile)

Enjoyed Greater or Less? Also try Multiples of 4, 3D Geometric Shapes or Addition for Kids. Find more Math Games and hundreds of games you can play in your browser on LudoRex.

Content reviewed by Rubén Cabra Zamora.✓ Learn more about our game review guidelines ›

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