Cooking Challenge

Tap the duck and the duck quacks. That is roughly the level of complexity a children's game aims for in its opening seconds, and it is a smart place to start. From there, stages add a little more: sort by color, count to five, hop across stones. The child stays in control of the pace. Sessions are as long as the attention span and no longer.

• Use mouse or tap on the screen

1. 1Tap Play and then tap the thing that is moving or glowing. The game will respond right away.
2. 2Drag objects to their matching shape or color when the game shows an outline.
3. 3Follow a bouncing arrow or pointing hand whenever one appears.
4. 4When stars appear, the stage is done. Tap the arrow to move on.

• Free to play, nothing to install, no account needed
• Loads in the browser tab and opens full screen when you press Play
• Plays best with the phone turned sideways or on a wider screen
• Touch controls on phones and tablets, mouse and keyboard on a computer
• Listed under Kids

Cooking Challenge is free, runs in the browser, and needs no download or account. For a parent that means it works on any device with no setup. For a child it means big buttons, friendly sounds, and a game that never tells them they got it wrong.

Suits toddlers and young children, with the simplest stages manageable at around three years old. Parents, carers and older siblings can join in. Reading is not required for most of it.

How long will my child play Cooking Challenge?

Stages take about a minute each, and most young children play for ten to fifteen minutes before moving on. There is no fixed session length.

Does it save progress?

Sometimes, in the browser on that device. Since there is no account, a different tablet or phone will start from the first stage.

Is a mouse hard for little kids?

It can be. A tablet or phone with touch is usually easier for young children than a mouse and keyboard.