Letter Balloons: a kids typing game to play online free
Letter Balloons is a gentle typing game for kids. Balloons with big letters float up into a sunny sky, and pressing the letter on the keyboard pops the balloon. Ten short levels introduce the keys in the order touch typists learn them, starting with F and J. The key to press glows in the colour of the finger that types it, and 8 colourful worlds each bring their own animal friend, from a bunny in the meadow to an owl under the stars. Nobody loses: missed balloons just float away. Children collect stars and 25 stickers, and grown-ups get a simple progress page that shows which letters are learned. It is free, has no sign-up and works on computers, tablets and phones.
How to play Letter Balloons
- Choose a level: level 1 starts with the letters F and J.
- Look at the new letters and which finger presses them.
- Balloons with letters float up from the hills. Find the letter on the keyboard and press it to pop the balloon.
- The key to press glows, and its colour shows the finger to use.
- Pop gold star balloons for stars and the rainbow balloon at the end of the level.
- Finish the level to earn up to three stars, stickers and the next level.
Each level sends 20 balloons. Most carry the level's new letters, mixed with letters learned before, and the last one is a big rainbow balloon. If two balloons share a letter, the higher one pops first. Tapping a balloon does not pop it: it wiggles and the right key flashes, so children always connect the letter with the keyboard.
The 10 levels
| Level | New letters | What children learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F, J | The two keys with bumps, where the pointer fingers rest |
| 2 | D, K | The middle fingers, next to F and J |
| 3 | S, L | The ring fingers |
| 4 | A, G, H | The little finger and the pointer fingers stretching inwards: the whole home row |
| 5 | E, I | The first keys on the top row, with the middle fingers |
| 6 | R, U | The pointer fingers reach up |
| 7 | T, Y, O | More of the top row |
| 8 | W, Q, P | The top row is complete |
| 9 | C, V, M, N | The bottom row begins |
| 10 | B, X, Z | The whole alphabet |
Each level unlocks the next one. Stars depend only on how many balloons were popped: one star for finishing, two for 14 balloons, three for 18 or more. Grown-ups can unlock every level at once in Settings.
Finger colours
Letter Balloons uses one colour per finger, the same colours as the Typing Dojo: pink for the little fingers (Q A Z and P), orange for the ring fingers (W S X, O L), yellow for the middle fingers (E D C, I K) and green for the pointer fingers, which each look after two columns (R F V T G B and Y H N U J M). A pink key is pressed with a little finger, a green one with a pointer finger. Children who notice this start to type without looking long before they can read the finger names.
Eight worlds and animal friends
| World | Friend | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 🌼 Sunny Meadow | 🐰 Bunny | Green hills, trees and flowers |
| 🏖️ Sandy Beach | 🦀 Crab | The sea, a sailing boat, a palm tree, shells and starfish |
| ❄️ Snowy Hills | 🐧 Penguin | Mountains, snowy pine trees and falling snow |
| 🌴 Jungle | 🐵 Monkey | Vines, giant leaves, ferns and butterflies |
| 🚜 Happy Farm | 🐷 Piglet | A red barn, a fence, hay bales and sunflowers |
| 🍂 Autumn Forest | 🦊 Fox | Orange trees, mushrooms and falling leaves |
| 🍭 Candy Land | 🐱 Kitten | Lollipop trees, candy canes and sprinkles |
| 🌙 Starry Night | 🦉 Owl | The moon, twinkling stars, cosy houses and fireflies |
The world changes with every level, so each new set of letters arrives somewhere new. Grown-ups can also choose one favourite world for every game in Settings.
ABC order and Free play
- ABC order sends the letters from A to Z, two at a time, for children who are learning the alphabet. Each pop plays a rising note, so the alphabet becomes a little tune.
- Free play mixes every letter unlocked so far and never ends: perfect for a few relaxed minutes of practice.
For parents and teachers
- Progress page: the grown-ups button shows balloons popped, letters learned, the share of right keys for every letter, stars per level and the last games. A letter counts as learned after 10 pops with at least 85% right keys.
- Settings: eight themes, three balloon speeds, capital or small letters, glowing keys, sound and music, and an option to unlock every level.
- Safe and private: no chat, no names, no leaderboard and no ads in the play area. Progress stays in your browser; nothing is sent to us.
- Short sessions: a level takes about two minutes. Two or three levels a day, with a grown-up nearby, works better than one long session.
- Posture: show your child how to rest both pointer fingers on the bumps of F and J before each level, and to come back there after every key.
Stickers
There are 25 stickers to collect: an animal for every level, stickers for popping 10 to 1,000 balloons, for three-star levels, gold stars, rainbow balloons, the whole alphabet and more. Press the sticker button in the game to see them.
| Sticker | How to earn it |
|---|---|
| 🎈 First Pop | Pop your very first balloon. |
| 🐣 Ten Pops | Pop 10 balloons. |
| 🐥 Fifty Pops | Pop 50 balloons. |
| 🐸 Hundred Pops | Pop 100 balloons. |
| 🎉 Pop Party | Pop 500 balloons. |
| 🦄 Balloon Master | Pop 1,000 balloons. |
| 🐶 Puppy | Finish level 1: F and J. |
| 🐱 Kitty | Finish level 2: D and K. |
| 🐭 Mouse | Finish level 3: S and L. |
| 🐹 Hamster | Finish level 4: A, G and H. |
| 🐰 Bunny | Finish level 5: E and I. |
| 🦊 Fox | Finish level 6: R and U. |
| 🐻 Bear | Finish level 7: T, Y and O. |
| 🐼 Panda | Finish level 8: W, Q and P. |
| 🐨 Koala | Finish level 9: C, V, M and N. |
| 🦁 Lion | Finish level 10: B, X and Z. |
| ⭐ Three Stars | Get three stars on a level. |
| 🌟 Star Collector | Get three stars on 5 levels. |
| 💫 Super Star | Get three stars on all 10 levels. |
| 🔤 ABC Hero | Pop every balloon from A to Z in ABC order. |
| 🌈 Rainbow Catcher | Pop 5 big rainbow balloons. |
| ✨ Gold Stars | Pop 20 gold star balloons. |
| 🎯 Perfect Level | Finish a level popping every balloon with no wrong keys. |
| 🔠 Every Letter | Pop every letter from A to Z at least once. |
| 📅 Balloon Week | Play on 5 different days. |
Tips
- Fingers on the bumps. Start every level with the pointer fingers on F and J.
- Follow the colour. The glowing key's colour tells you which finger to use.
- Slow is fine. Choose the slow speed at first; there is no hurry and no way to lose.
- Say it together. Saying each letter name aloud as it pops helps young children remember it.
- Next steps. When the letters are learned, try the Typing Dojo, then Penguin Trek and Jungle Jump for words.
Frequently asked questions
Is Letter Balloons free?
Yes. Letter Balloons is completely free, with no sign-up, no download and no in-app purchases. It runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones, and progress is saved on your device.
What age is Letter Balloons for?
It is made for children from about 4 to 8 who are learning their letters or meeting a computer keyboard for the first time. Younger children enjoy it with a grown-up next to them; older children can switch on the Fast speed and play all levels.
How do you play?
Balloons with big letters float up from the hills. Press the same letter on the keyboard to pop the balloon. The key to press glows on the on-screen keyboard, and its colour shows the finger that should press it. Pop gold star balloons for stars and the big rainbow balloon at the end of each level.
Can my child lose?
No. There are no lives and no game over. A balloon that is not popped simply floats away, and a wrong key only makes a soft boing sound and shows which letter to look for. Every finished level earns at least one star.
Why does it start with F and J?
F and J are where the pointer fingers rest when touch typing, and they have small bumps you can feel. Letter Balloons follows the same order as our Typing Dojo course: the home row first, then the rows above and below, so children build good habits from the very first key.
What do the colours mean?
Each colour is a finger: pink for the little fingers, orange for the ring fingers, yellow for the middle fingers and green for the pointer fingers. The keys on the keyboard and the new-letter cards use these colours, so children learn which finger goes to which key without having to read.
Are there different backgrounds?
Yes, eight: Sunny Meadow with a bunny, Sandy Beach with a crab, Snowy Hills with a penguin, the Jungle with a monkey, Happy Farm with a piglet, Autumn Forest with a fox, Candy Land with a kitten and Starry Night with an owl. The world changes with every level, or you can pick a favourite in Settings.
Can it be played on a tablet or phone?
Yes. The game has its own big on-screen keyboard, so it works with touch on tablets and phones, in portrait and landscape. On a computer, children can use the real keyboard and the on-screen keyboard shows where to press.
Should it use capital or small letters?
Most keyboards print capital letters on the keys, so Letter Balloons shows capitals by default. If your child is learning small letters at school, choose "abc" in Settings and the balloons and keys will show small letters instead.
How can I see my child's progress?
Press the grown-ups button at the top of the game. It shows how many balloons were popped, which letters are learned, how often the right key was pressed for each letter, the stars on every level and the most recent games.
Is it safe for children?
Letter Balloons has no chat, no names, no leaderboard, no links inside the game and no ads in the play area. Progress is stored only in your browser. Ads appear only in the guide below the game, are requested as child-directed, and are not personalised.
What comes after Letter Balloons?
When all the letters are green on the progress page, children are ready for the Typing Dojo lessons, which teach the same keys with words and sentences, and for typing games such as Penguin Trek and Jungle Jump.
Is there a leaderboard for kids?
Yes, two friendly boards: the fastest A to Z race and the most balloons popped in Free play. To join, children tap one of several ready-made fun names such as Happy Panda 42, so they never type their own name and no personal details are shared. Joining is optional, and scores can be deleted from the leaderboard at any time.