Home Row Runner

Learn the home row by running

Home Row Runner teaches the most important spot on the keyboard. Your character jogs along a path, and obstacles appear with a home row letter on them. Press the right key and your runner leaps over. Each letter belongs to a particular finger, so every jump also trains your hands.

How to play Home Row Runner

Rest your fingers on A, S, D, F and J, K, L, semicolon. When an obstacle approaches, look at its letter and press the matching key. A correct press makes a smooth jump, and a wrong one makes your runner stumble and slow down for a moment. The run does not end when you stumble, so there is always a chance to recover.

Tracks and distance

Each track is a bit longer than the last. The first tracks use only the middle letters under your index fingers, and later tracks add the outer fingers one by one. A distance meter shows how far you have gone, and you earn a medal for finishing a track without a stumble. The home row remains the focus throughout, so your hands learn their base position.

Skills you will build

• Resting your fingers on the home row without looking.
• Matching each letter to the correct finger.
• Pressing keys with an even, relaxed rhythm.
• Gaining confidence before adding more rows.

For teachers and parents

Pair this game with the first lesson in Learn to Type so that explanation and practice go together. Ask players to keep their eyes on the screen and not on their hands. When ready for the next step, move to Falling Letters, browse beginner typing games, or check progress with the typing test. The full list is on the typing games page.

A quick tip

Feel for the small bumps on the F and J keys. They help your index fingers find home without looking down, and the runner will thank you.

Frequently asked questions