We’re big fans of finger-swiping game Fruit Ninja, and we know a lot of children are playing it too. But what if that virtual-slicing dynamic could be applied to education?

Developer Ululab was clearly wondering the same thing, and went ahead and did something about it. The company’s Slice Fractions app came out earlier this month, and has already been getting attention from Apple on its App Store.

We’re not surprised. In Slice Fractions, children aren’t slicing fruit to bits; they’re swiping ice and lava to clear a path for a mammoth – learning fractions along the way in what feels like a fun game rather than a dry maths lesson.

There are more than 60 puzzles to solve along the way, with Ululab promising that the fractions part is based on solid Common Core education concepts, rather than just plucked out of the air.

We’re also sneakily impressed by the inclusion of “funky hats” for your mammoth to collect along the way – a fun indication of progress, and a reason your kids will want to keep playing, to see what headgear comes next.

Slice Fractions costs £1.99 for iPhone and iPad on Apple’s App Store.

Read about more maths apps for kids on Apps Playground, and check out our 100 Best iPad Apps of 2013 e-book – £1.99 from Apple’s iBooks Store