Learn numbers & letters
by popping bubbles
A calm, ad-free learning game I built for my own kids. Pop the bouncing bubble to count to 10, 20, or all the way to 100 — or switch to alphabet mode and work through A to Z. No ads, no dark patterns, no overstimulation.
No Ads
Origin
Built for my kids
This one was personal. I built Dot Pop 123 ABC for my own kids to use and enjoy. The idea was simple: make a game where parents don't have to worry about ads popping up and going to who-knows-where. Nothing dangerous, nothing alarming.
But more than just "safe," I wanted it to be calm. I'd been paying attention to how overstimulating most kids' apps are — the flashing lights, the reward sounds every half-second, the constant noise. I did a fair amount of research into Montessori apps and low-sensory design principles, what they actually entail and what makes them work for young kids.
Dot Pop doesn't implement all of that — it's a starting point — but the philosophy is there. The app is intentionally quiet and unhurried. You can control the level of stimulation through the parent settings. Let the iPad be a tool, not a slot machine.
Gameplay
One mechanic. One goal.
A bubble bounces
A large colorful bubble bounces around the screen showing a number or letter. Smaller dots float in the background for visual texture.
Tap to pop it
Tap the bubble to pop it. A ripple effect radiates out, confetti bursts, and a satisfying bubble sound plays.
Next one appears
The next number or letter appears. Keep going until you reach the end — then a victory screen celebrates the win.
Features
Simple on the surface, configurable underneath
Numbers mode
Count from 1 to 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, or all the way to 100. Parents pick the max number in settings.
Alphabet mode
Switch to A–Z mode for letter recognition. Same calm mechanic, different learning goal.
Adjustable speed
Slow, Normal, or Fast. Younger kids get a leisurely pace; older kids can crank it up for a challenge.
Parent settings (hidden)
Settings are tucked away behind a long-press so kids can't accidentally change them. Parents are in control.
No ads. Ever.
Free with zero advertising. No pop-ups, no links out of the app, nothing to accidentally tap into.
Satisfying pop sound
A bubble pop sound plays on each tap. Multiple sounds can overlap so rapid tapping always feels responsive.
How I Built It
Flutter was the obvious choice
I chose Flutter for this because of its cross-platform nature — I could build once, test it in a browser, run it on my MacBook, and ship it to iOS. I'd tried Expo before but found it clunky and harder to work with. Flutter felt more accessible and the developer experience was genuinely good.
There's no game engine here. The bouncing bubble physics and all the animations are built directly with Flutter's Ticker and CustomPainter — a frame loop with manual position and velocity updates, collision detection against screen edges, and repaint on every frame.
The hardest part technically was getting the background bubble animations right — the floating dots that drift around the screen. After that, the trickiest non-code challenge was the App Store submission process: getting the right screenshots, filling out all the metadata, and navigating Apple's approval review.
Coming soon
to the App Store
Free. No ads. Just a calm, simple game for your kids to enjoy.