1st – 4th Grade Difficulty

Dance Mat Typing Game: 12 Stages

Twelve stages from the home row to capitals — dance your way through the keyboard!

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★★☆☆☆ Ages 6-10 ~5 min Home Row Top Row Bottom Row Full Keyboard

🏫 Top classes in Dance Mat Typing

Class Race rooms, hosted by teachers

Whole classes racing this game together in Class Race, ranked by class-average score. Team totals only, no individual students.

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What is Dance Mat Typing?

Dance Mat Typing is our own twelve-stage keyboarding game that follows the classic order: Level 1 is the home row (F D S A J K L ; plus G H, then E I, then R U), Level 2 the top row, Level 3 the bottom row, and Level 4 capitals, apostrophes, slashes, full stops and the number row. Each stage lights the new keys on an on-screen keyboard, names the finger that owns each key, then runs forty prompts with a dancing animal host who bops on every correct key. You get an accuracy score, keys per minute and up to three stars per stage, saved on your device. The original BBC Dance Mat Typing is still live on BBC Bitesize; this is a separate game with the same key order plus scoring, stars and a teacher-friendly race mode.

How to Play Dance Mat Typing

Skills You'll Practice

Home Row Practice more home row games
Top Row Practice more top row games
Bottom Row Practice more bottom row games
Full Keyboard Practice more full keyboard games

Recommended for These Grades

1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade

Why this grade range?

First and second graders are the right age to learn the key positions one row at a time, and the twelve-stage ladder gives them a visible finish line every five minutes. Third and fourth graders who type by hunting and pecking use it as a reset: starting from Stage 1 again with the finger hints on is the fastest way to replace the old habit. Kindergarteners can play Stage 1 with help, but most are better off with letter recognition games first.

Dance Mat Typing teaches where the keys are; the rest of our typing games for kids online turn that into speed with words, sentences and races.

Pro Tips for Dance Mat Typing

  • 1

    Read the finger label under each key before you type it. The whole point of the stage order is that every key is a short hop from the home row, and the wrong finger is the habit that hurts later.

  • 2

    Chase accuracy, not speed. Three stars needs 97% accuracy and nothing else, so a slow clean run beats a fast messy one.

  • 3

    Replay a stage the next day before moving on. Two passes a day apart stick far better than five in a row.

  • 4

    On Level 4, hold shift with the pinky of the opposite hand to the letter. Using the same hand for both is the mistake that stalls most children on capitals.

  • 5

    Use the stage buttons on the menu to jump around: a child who already knows the home row can start at Stage 4.

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    Dance Mat Typing — Frequently Asked Questions

    Is this the BBC Dance Mat Typing game?
    No. The BBC original is still live on BBC Bitesize. This is our own game built in the same four-level, twelve-stage order, with finger hints, accuracy scoring, stars and a race mode for classrooms.
    What keys does each level cover?
    Level 1 is the home row plus G, H, E, I, R and U. Level 2 adds the top row: T, Y, W, O, Q and P. Level 3 adds the bottom row: V, M, B, N, C, comma, X, Z, full stop and slash. Level 4 covers capitals with shift, the apostrophe and slash, then the full stop and the number row.
    How do I open a specific stage?
    Use the stage buttons on the game menu, or add ?stage=7 to the game address. The dance mat typing level pages on this site link straight into each level.
    How are stars awarded?
    One star for 80% accuracy, two for 90%, three for 97%. Speed is shown as keys per minute but does not affect stars.
    Does it work in a classroom race?
    Yes. Teachers can host it in Class Race: every correct key counts, stages roll on automatically, and power-up cards appear every forty keys.