Yoikes! The Number Placement Game

A self-contained number-ordering game for maths lessons: numbers 1-100 are called and pupils must box each one in ascending order, or shout Yoikes!

Played on paper in classrooms since the 1990s and now spread to schools nationwide, Yoikes! needs no equipment beyond ten boxes drawn in a book – this app automates the calling for you, or lets pupils play along on screen.

Each turn, a number between 1 and 100 is revealed. Pupils try to slot it into a box so that their row of numbers stays in ascending order left to right. If a number can’t be placed without breaking that order, it goes in the Yoikes! Bin instead, and play continues. At the end, count how many numbers made it into a box: 8 or 9 is a strong score, and a full house of 10 is rare. Because several pupils can succeed at once, everyone stays in with a chance right to the final number.

Three game modes are built in:
• Manual – the app calls numbers for a whole-class paper game (pupils draw their own boxes and bin), with adjustable delay between calls.
• Live Play – pupils play directly on screen, clicking a box or “Yoikes!” for each number, with an on-screen Yoikes Bin.
• Auto – sit back and watch a simple computer player box numbers as they’re called, so pupils can try to beat its score.

Three variants add replay value and let you match the challenge to your class:
• Standard – the original game, 10 boxes.
• Royal – a harder version with 20 boxes.
• Gambler – just 2 boxes, and the first number called is always 50, turning it into a quick push-your-luck starter or plenary.

A printable Pupil Sheet (A4, landscape) is included, with ten boxes, a Yoikes Bin, and a Final Score box ready to photocopy for paper play.

Why teachers use it:

• Works entirely offline once opened – no installation, no account, no internet connection needed after the first open.
• GDPR-friendly – no pupil data is ever collected, stored, or uploaded; everything happens locally in the browser tab.
• No prep beyond opening the file – ideal for a starter, filler, plenary, or a five-minute break between topics.
• Genuinely cross-curricular within maths – reinforces number sense, ordering, and estimation for any age group from KS1 upwards, with variants to stretch or simplify as needed.
• Runs on any device with a modern browser – interactive whiteboard, laptop, or tablet.

Includes:

the app (single file, works completely offline), a printable A4 landscape Pupil Sheet PDF, and a Setup & Troubleshooting Guide covering how to download, rename, and open the file on school computers (Windows and Mac).

*TAGS: number sense, mental maths, starter activity, plenary, whiteboard game, KS1, KS2, KS3, ordering numbers, no prep, offline app