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Their First Words

For grown-ups

Questions about Their First Numbers

Their First Numbers is a free counting app for children about 2–4 years old. Its pond has ten number habitats, each with a consistent group of objects to see, hear, and count. Here is what happens when your child plays.

At a glance: quantities 1–10 · seven activities per number · eight spoken languages · iPhone, iPad, and Android · no ads, purchase, or account.

The counting experience

Does the app teach number names or how many objects there are?

Both are connected. Tapping a group on the pond opens a number introduction with its numeral, its exact group of objects, and its spoken name. The activities then ask your child to make that quantity, touch and count each object, give one object to each place, add one more, take one away, choose the matching numeral, and send every object home while counting down. It is more than listening to a counting song or reciting a sequence.

Which numbers and objects are included?

The app covers 1–10: one lantern, two fish, three tulips, four frogs, five red flowers, six sunflowers, seven leaves, eight acorns, nine apples, and ten strawberries. Each number keeps its own object across the quantity activities, so a child who met eight acorns on the pond sees acorns again while making or counting eight.

Does it include zero or arithmetic lessons?

The current pond has habitats for 1–10. There is no zero habitat or formal zero lesson in the playable course. “One more” is a concrete activity: one matching object joins a visible group to complete the target quantity. “One less” takes one object away, and “All Gone” sends objects home one at a time until none remain. No numeral zero is shown or spoken. These are not timed arithmetic drills.

Must my child read or already know the numerals?

No reading is needed. Numbers and prompts are spoken, and the child acts on large objects and visual cues. The introduction lets them see a numeral beside its quantity before the seven activities begin. If a number feels too hard, a parent can simply count a small group together and return later.

How can we try the idea without a screen?

Print our free pond counting cards. The same ten numbers become a tabletop game: place one paper fish at a time beside a number card, then add one more. It requires no app, sign-in, or download.

Practical questions

Is the entire app free?

Yes. All ten numbers, seven activities, and eight spoken languages are available from the first launch. There are no in-app purchases, subscriptions, paid unlocks, or ads.

Can it work without Wi-Fi, and which languages can we choose?

Yes. The activities and narration are included in the app, so play works offline. The language button on the pond lets a grown-up choose English, Latin American Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Italian, Korean, or Russian. The voice and on-screen language change together.

Can we switch the pond to night?

Yes. Tap the sun or moon in the pond’s upper-left corner. It changes the light of the same pond; it does not change which numbers are available.

Is progress saved or shared between devices?

Progress and app preferences stay on the device. There is no account or cloud copy, so progress does not sync to another phone or tablet. To clear it, press and hold the “Hold 2s to Learn More” grown-ups control, then choose Reset progress. Uninstalling also removes the local record; we cannot restore it from a server.

Does the app collect data about my child?

No. There are no ads, no tracking or analytics, and no account, and nothing your child does leaves the device. Play progress is saved on the device so your child can pick up where they left off. The Numbers Privacy Policy explains what is saved and how to erase it.

Where can I get help?

Visit Numbers support or email support@theirfirstwords.org. Please share your device type and what happened, without including your child’s personal information.