Greater than, less than, equal to
The hungry-crocodile trick is the classic way to make the < and > signs finally click: the crocodile's open mouth always eats the bigger number. This activity shows two groups of playful objects, and the child counts each group and taps the sign that belongs in the middle — greater than, equal to, or less than.
Learning by counting
Each round draws a random number of stars, apples, hearts, fish or balloons in each group, from one to ten, with equal groups turning up often so children meet the equals sign too. A correct answer reveals the crocodile chomping toward the larger side (or an equals sign when they match), and a running star score rewards a good streak. A wrong tap gently asks the child to count again.
For home and the classroom
Children tap the sign, with the words "greater than," "equal to" and "less than" spelled out under each symbol, and every element is labelled for screen readers. Animations respect reduced-motion and no data is collected.
For parents and teachers: a playful introduction to comparing numbers, best paired with guided counting.
Frequently asked questions
What ages is it for?
It suits children around ages 5 to 8 learning to compare numbers and the greater-than, less-than and equals signs.
What is the crocodile trick?
The crocodile's mouth always opens toward the bigger number, so the wide side faces "more" and the point faces "less" — a memorable way to read < and >.
What do the greater-than and less-than signs mean?
The symbol > means "greater than" and < means "less than". The wide open side always faces the bigger number: 5 > 3, and 2 < 8.
How can kids remember which sign is which?
A common trick is the "hungry alligator" that always opens its mouth toward the larger number, so it eats the bigger amount.
What does the equals sign mean here?
The = sign means both sides are the same value. So we compare numbers as greater than, less than, or equal to one another.