Fish Catching: the Once I Caught a Fish Alive game

Fish Catching is a free online fishing game for children ages 3 to 8. Tap the pond to scoop fish up with a net — but be quick, because the fish swim away when the net comes close! Carry the catch to the basket, then count it together: a friendly voice counts every fish aloud, and a right answer brings out a singer for Once I Caught a Fish Alive. It plays in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download, no signup and no ads.

What's inside

• 🐟 Silver, Stripy & Big Blue fish
• 🐠 Sea Bream at level 2
• ✨ Golden Arowana at level 3
• 🟢 Green Sunfish at level 4
• 🧺 Counting quiz up to 15
• 🎵 Once I Caught a Fish Alive
• 🥫 Canning machine & coins
• 🛒 Bigger nets & baskets

How to play Fish Catching

1. 1Tap or click the water to swing the net. Get close first — fish swim away when the net comes near, and the slow ones are easier to catch.
2. 2The net holds a few fish at a time. Drag it over the basket to tip them in.
3. 3Tap the basket to count your catch. Pick the number, then watch each fish light up as the voice counts it.
4. 4Get it right and a singer pops up to sing Once I Caught a Fish Alive. Get it wrong and you count together, then try again.
5. 5Counted fish go into the canning machine and turn into coins. Spend them on bigger nets and baskets, and keep catching to unlock new kinds of fish.

What your child learns

• ✓Counting from 1 to 15, with every fish counted aloud and lit up as it is said
• ✓Number recognition: picking the right number from four choices
• ✓Hand-eye coordination: reaching a moving fish before it swims off
• ✓Rhyme and rhythm through the Once I Caught a Fish Alive sing-along
• ✓Saving up: pretend coins from the canning machine buy a bigger net

Questions parents ask

Is the fish catching game free to play online?

Yes. Fish Catching is completely free — no signup, no ads and no in-app purchases. The coins in the game are pretend coins earned by catching fish, never bought with real money.

Can I play the fish catching game without downloading anything?

Yes. It runs entirely in your web browser — Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox — so there is nothing to install. Press Play and the pond opens straight away.

Is there a fish catching game for kids to download?

There is no app to download — Fish Catching is a web game, which is why it is free and needs no account. On a phone or tablet you can still give it an app-style icon: open the game, tap your browser's Share or menu button, and choose "Add to Home Screen". It opens straight into the game from then on (it still needs an internet connection).

What age is this fishing game for?

Ages 3 to 8. Three- and four-year-olds enjoy scooping fish and hearing them counted; older children chase the quicker fish, answer the counting quiz on their own and save up for a better net. A two-year-old can join in on a grown-up's lap.

How is it different from other fishing games online?

Most online fishing games are built around a timer and a high score. Fish Catching has no timer and nothing to lose: it is a calm counting game with a nursery rhyme at its heart, made for young children rather than for winning.

Does it save my child's fish and coins?

Yes. The catch in the basket, coins, nets and level are saved in your browser on that device, so a reload or closing the tab doesn't lose them. Clearing the browser's site data starts the pond afresh.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It is made for touch — tap to catch and drag the net to the basket — and works just as well with a mouse on a computer. There are Sound and Music switches if you need a quiet game.

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Fish Catching is one of the free games on Kids Story Book, alongside illustrated bedtime and moral story books by Jakia Sultana. Browse the story books or read our guides for parents.