Table Adventures is an exciting way of helping young children with their tables. The four games invlove finding gold at the rainbow's end, canoeing across rapids, escaping from underground, and using skill and logic to minimise your score. Each game starts off very simply but is progressively more challenging, eventually proving a tough problem (even for adults!).

A self test is also provided so that you can see how you're improving.

Table Adventures is a series of four exciting games based around the multiplication tables. The four games are Rainbow's End, Shooting the Rapids, Underground Escape and Number Families. Each one is harder than the last. At the end is a self test, so you can check how you are getting on.

In Rainbow's End, a puck dances along a wall, lighting up the numbers in the table. Getting enough right answers wins you a crock of gold. In Shooting the Rapids, you steer a canoe down a river. If you hit a rock, you have to find the factors of the number on it, to get past it. In Underground Escape, you are climbing up a mine shaft, when it is blocked by rocks. You have to find common factors to get through. These ideas all come together in Number Families. It's easy to play this game, but to get the best scores needs a lot of thought.

When the program is loaded, you will see a menu on the screen. It asks which game or test you would like. Remember, the games get harder, so for the first go, try Rainbow's End. To get a game, type its number and then press the RETURN key.

If you have chosen this game then you will see a number of brick walls. Decide which table, from 2 to 10, that you want. Type the number, and press the RETURN key. A puck now bounces along the walls, knocking out bricks and showing the numbers in that table. If you choose 7, for example, the puck bounces along in jumps of 7 and knocks out the bricks over 7, 14, 21, 28, 35...These are then removed, and the rainbow appears over one brick. You have to type in the number of jumps needed to get to this brick. For example, if the number is 35 and the table is 7, then you have to press 5 and RETURN. If you are right, a creature comes on, but you can't get your gold. Your score is shown, and the spacebar symbol appears. Once you have pressed it, you get another question. If you are wrong, the gold from the correct brick drops out, and the creature comes on and steals it. A message telling you to start again appears. Press the spacebar to continue with the table you are working on. You have to get five right in a row to complete the game.

If you choose this game you will see a 1-100 number square. It will then be flooded and rocks appear in the water. Your canoe comes in at the top left hand corner, a number appears on the first rock, and the canoe starts its run. If the canoe hits a rock, you must find one of the only two numbers that divide exactly into it (not counting the number itself, and 1). Type in one of these two, and press the RETURN key.

If you are right, the computer does the division and the result appears on the rock. The spacebar symbol appears, and when you press it, the canoe continues on its way. If your choice is wrong, a message will appear, and your canoe will sink. The spacebar symbol appears, and when you have pressed it the run starts again. When you have completed the run, you will be given your time. Can you break the record?

This game also starts with the 1-100 number square used in Shooting the Rapids, but this time the square is upside down. The screen clears, and a mine shaft appears. Rocks roll down the shaft, blocking the route up to the surface. Numbers appear on the first three. You then appear at the bottom left hand corner. Move up, right or left, by using the appropriate arrowed keys. You have to try and climb out of the shaft.

When you reach the first rock, you have to find numbers that go into two of the three numbers on the rocks. There is one important point. The computer always wants the biggest number that goes into the rocks. If, for example, the rocks are numbered 12, 28 and 35, you can select 4, which goes into 12 and 28, or 7 which goes into 28 and 35. You can't select 2, which goes into 12 and 28, as it is not the largest number that goes into these two, ie 4. Type the number you decide on and then press RETURN key. In the example, if you choose 4, it will be divided into 12 and 28, which now become 3 and 7 respectively, and you would be left with 3, 7 and 35. If at any stage you type in a number that does not go into two of the three numbers on the rocks then the ? symbol will appear. When you press the spacebar, the number disappears and you can try again.

After typing in one successful number, there will now only be one number that goes into two of the three numbers on the rocks, and you have to find it. Type in the number, and press the RETURN key. In the above example, the number is 7. The computer does the division and displays the results on the rocks. You are now left with three numbers, one of which is 1. When you press the spacebar, the rocks disappear and you can proceed up the shaft. As you progress, three more numbers appear on the rocks above you. Find a number that goes into two of the three on the rocks, as you did above, type it in. Now type in the other number that goes into two of the remaining numbers, and you can proceed. Finally, a third set of numbers appears. If you find the correct numbers then you have escaped!

Remember, red hot lava is creeping up the shaft behind you so you must think fast. Mine shafts are dangerous! If you get caught by the lava then you will have to start again. In this case, press the spacebar and you return automatically to the bottom of the shaft, with the same rocks as before.

First the computer asks if you want the 20 game or the 60 game. It is better to start with the 20 game, and try the 60 game when you have played with the 20 game for a bit.

In the 20 game, you have to wipe out the numbers below 10. When you start, you will see that the number 1 has a cursor on it. Move the cursor around the grid using the four arrowed keys. To take a number you just press the RETURN key when the cursor is above it. When you take a number, you also wipe out its factors at the same time. If, for instance, you pick 18, the 9, 6, 3, 2 and 1 all disappear as well. If you try and take a number that has no factors left, the computer will give you a beep, and the cursor will go to the first nunber that has not gone. If you had taken 18 for example, it would not now let you take 4 or 7. You could take 12 because 4 is still there.

The aim of the whole game is to get as low a score as possible. When you start your score is zero, after you have taken 18 for example, your score goes up to 18. You can also vary the game by trying to get as high a score as possible.

In the 60 game, you must knock out all the numbers up to 30, using the same rules as for the 20 game.

If you want to try the self test, just type in the answers to the questions you are asked, and then, when you are ready to start the test, press the spacebar. Once you have done this, you will be presented with a series of questions. See how fast and accurately you can answer them.

This program both reinforces the facts of the multiplication tables, and often extends this work.

The first game gives some simple table practice, and emphasises the picture of equal jumps along a number line. This image is much more helpful than remembering the separate facts.

In the next two games, the bakground is the standard "hundred square" used in all primary schools. The games enlarge the child's knowledge of the numbers from 1 to 100. They emphasise "factorising", which is even more important than multiplying. For example they encourage breaking down 63 into 9 x 7 rather than asking the answer to 9 x 7. This also brings out the importance of "prime" numbers - those, like 7 or 31, which do not break down in the way 63 does.

It is very important mathematically that we see numbers built up from prime numbers - 12, is 2 x 2 x 3, or 35 is 5 x 7, and the last game also emphasises this. It is easy to play but it is hard to score the lowest or highest possible. We challenge anyone to score the maximum of 1137 on the 60 game!