➗ Math apps and platforms · 🎨 Art, music and story makers · 🏫 Classroom tools
Polypad (and Mathigon courses)
By Amplify Education (formerly Mathigon). Visit Polypad (and Mathigon courses)
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free online set of virtual math manipulatives: pattern blocks, fraction bars, algebra tiles, number lines, dice, geoboards, tangrams and even musical notes. Kids drag and combine pieces to explore ideas, build designs and solve puzzles; teachers can turn a canvas into an activity and watch student work live. Polypad started at Mathigon and moved to Amplify. Mathigon.org still hosts the related interactive math courses and lesson plans, mostly for middle and high school.
Our take: A free, ad-free playground that suits teachers and parents who will set a challenge; kids who want a guided path with rewards will lose interest.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 4 out of 5 | No ads or chat; a Log in button and social links in the footer. |
|---|---|
| Data: 5 out of 5 | No third-party ad, tracking or analytics networks were seen; the only outside host was Google Fonts. |
| Ease: 4 out of 5 | Large picture tiles for each tool (Balance Scale, Function Machines, Dice) and a 'Launch Polypad' button; a young child may need help choosing a tool. |
| Cost honesty: 5 out of 5 | Free; the page says the tools are 'completely free to use' and no upsell was seen. |
What we found
- Only 2 third-party sites contacted (Google Fonts); no analytics or ad hosts
- 2 cookies set, both first-party
- No ad frames; the asks seen were 'Log in' only
- The first screen lists tools with big pictures: fraction bars, 3D polyhedra, balance scale, dice and spinners
From the test: Free, ad-free and quiet on data in this check, with big picture tiles that lead straight into the math tools.
| Ages it suits | about 5-18 (grades K-12) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated as an age. Amplify's acceptable use policy says its products are for K-12 students using them as authorized by their school, with an educator or the school accepting the terms. Polypad itself needs no login. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free, with no login needed (Oct 2026); Mathigon courses are also free. |
| Works on | Web |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Free and works without an account
- Huge range of hands-on tools in one place
- Open-ended: kids can build art and music with math
- Teachers can watch a class work live
Watch for
- A toolbox, not a lesson plan; kids need prompts or a teacher
- Some Mathigon courses are still unfinished
- No research on learning results
Data and privacy
Polypad and Mathigon follow Amplify's school privacy policy, which says Amplify does not sell student data, does not target ads to students and uses no third-party ad cookies on student-facing pages; schools give consent for under-13s under COPPA. Most of Mathigon works without an account. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent studies found; the maker's pages offer teacher testimonials rather than research.
In the Big Index
- On the list Top 50 free game sites for kids (2026)
- On the list 20 best math games for kids (apps, web and board)
- Polypad
Alternatives to Polypad (and Mathigon courses)
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
99math
99math (Estonia) · ages about 5-14 (grades K-8)
A low-effort, free way for teachers to make fact practice lively; parents of kids who dislike timed competition may want a calmer tool.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
ABCmouse
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages about 2-6 (preschool to kindergarten)
A full preschool program for families who want one paid app; cancel carefully and watch the reward loop.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
ALEKS
McGraw Hill (ALEKS Corporation) · ages school-age students through college (K-12 and higher ed courses)
A rigorous, mastery-based option for motivated older students or homeschoolers; younger or easily bored kids may prefer something more playful.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
AoPS Online
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS Incorporated) · ages grades 5-12 (about 10-18)
A strong fit for a child who loves hard math and wants contest prep; a child who is behind in math needs something gentler.
Where these facts come from
- https://polypad.amplify.com/
- https://mathigon.org/
- https://mathigon.org/faqs
- https://mathigon.org/courses
- https://amplify.com/acceptable-use-policy/
- https://amplify.com/customer-privacy/
- https://amplify.com/site-terms/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.