Dad with ADHD and dyslexia builds learning app where kids earn their pocket money by getting spellings and times tables right

A West London dad who struggled through school with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia has built a learning app with a twist: it turns children’s regular pocket money into a reward for learning. Parents set the amounts, track progress and pay out as they normally would — but now every penny is earned through spelling, maths and reading practice.

The Pocket Money Game (www.thepocketmoneygame.com) was born when Neil Kidd, a primary school governor, couldn’t find a practice app that held his own son’s attention. “Every app we tried was either full of ads, wanted a big subscription, or my son saw straight through the fake rewards,” he said. “Kids know the difference between virtual coins and actual money. So I built the thing I couldn’t find — with him testing every bit of it.”

The app covers the KS1 and KS2 national curriculum — spelling, times tables, maths and reading comprehension — and was designed from the ground up for children who find traditional learning tools hard going, including those with ADHD and dyslexia. Short question bursts, a clean distraction-free layout and instant rewards keep sessions manageable for children who can’t sit through worksheet-style apps.

The app works as a pocket money tracker with learning built in: parents decide the rate per correct answer, the app keeps score, and parents pay out their child’s earnings however they usually do. It simply reframes money families were already giving as something earned. There are no ads and no in-app purchases aimed at children.

It’s a genuine family operation: Neil’s eight-year-old son Wilf tested every feature — if it bored him, it got rebuilt — and the business is being built with his future in mind.

The timing is deliberate: with the new school year approaching, thousands of parents are looking for ways to rebuild routines after the summer break. The app also includes a free Multiplication Tables Check practice tool — no login required — for Year 4 parents preparing for the government’s statutory times tables check.

The Pocket Money Game costs from £3.99 a month, with a £2 Summer Pass covering 12 weeks, and a free tier to get started.

Neil, who serves as a governor at a Hounslow primary school, says the mission is personal: “School was miserable for me because nothing was built for brains like mine. If earning their pocket money is what it takes for a child like I was to feel good at spelling, that’s the cheapest tutoring in Britain.”

ENDS

Notes to editors: The Pocket Money Game is a UK web app for children aged 5–11, covering the KS1/KS2 curriculum. Founder Neil Kidd is available for interview, comment on ADHD/dyslexia-friendly learning, pocket money and screen time, or back-to-school features. Free review access available to journalists on request.

Contact: Neil Brooker Kidd, Founder
neil@thepocketmoneygame.com
www.thepocketmoneygame.com
07971775986