What's New

17 September 2026

Rigid Digit Goes to School

Tui's school put Rigid Digit in the newsletter recently, on the noticeboard in the office, and on their socials. They're running something called a Mathathon this term, and it turns out Rigid Digit is a pretty good fit for it.

The Mathathon (aka Math-a-thon) format varies by school, but the basics of it are the same everywhere. Kids are encouraged to practice maths, and to get sponsors, with the money raised going back to the school.

So really, Rigid Digit is a great fit to get kids to brush up on maths, and particularly mental maths. And it reinforces that maths is (or can be) fun!

If you're a parent or teacher, there's more on how kids can use it in our guide to mental maths for kids.

I'll admit, I'm generally pretty wary of young kids and screens. Most of what's on a phone is built to hold attention, rather than actually learn anything, usually alone. But this is one of the cases where I think technology and education are a worthy fit. The time Tui and I spend playing Rigid Digit is always together, so it ends up being bonding and supportive time as much as it's screen time. And it's a few minutes of real mental arithmetic too, the same kind of thinking a Mathathon drill asks for, just in a shape kids actually want to pick up.

If your school's running a Mathathon, or anything like it, and Rigid Digit could help, we'd love to hear about it. Get in touch at steve@playrigiddigit.com.