Learning Resources Math Trekker Game Review

Reviewed by Amanda Hayes

While there is plenty of Christmas inspiration on the tv and in the shops for gifts aimed at pre-schoolers and younger children, buying for slightly older children can be a lot more difficult. Learning Resources is a fantastic Company that has a website and on line shop, www.learningresources.co.uk, packed full of educational toys for all age ranges. The great thing about it is that all toys have clear age banding, and you can search by age so you can easily find the appropriate gift for your child. One important thing that all children need to learn and remember is their times tables, so I was really pleased to be sent one of their times table based games to review, the Maths Trekker.

My son is just coming up to 9 years old so fits the age group of 8+ perfectly and was keen to give this game a try. He gets tested every week at school, with mixed results depending on how much practice he has done, and while he knows the answers, getting them done in the 2 minute time limit the school sets has been more of a problem. Learning times tables is not as exciting as some of the other homework he has to do, so some weeks it slips by the wayside or ends up being a quick test on the way to school, the Maths Trekker we hoped would help us focus on it.

When the Maths Trekker arrived, I was surprised, but pleased, to find that its quite small and easy to carry around, roughly palm size. It also has a carabiner type clip so that you can attach it to your bag to use on the move. It’s a very simple digital game, with a small screen and ten numbered push buttons, 1-9 plus zero. There is also a power/enter button, a clear screen/up arrow button and a very useful mute button! At the bottom of the game there is a slider where you can switch from multiplication to division.

My son couldn’t wait to get started as he had a test the following day, he could choose from tables 1-12, either multiplication or division, or a mixed set of questions. He found it easy to change to the table he wanted to practice using the up arrow button. Each game had 13 questions, and if he got one wrong it asked him the question again at the end of the game. This is when it becomes quite addictive, when you finish your game, it shows the time it took to do the 13 questions. That set him off trying to beat his time, which was brilliant, as he just kept practicing and he could do it in a fun way. The game wasn’t just fun, but it worked, he came home from school the next day saying that not only did he get all 25 questions right, he had 37 seconds of his test time left to check, whereas he normally has one or two questions left.

I can’t recommend the Maths Trekker game highly enough, it’s a fun little game, easy to carry around and is both educational and motivational. At a RRP of £12.00 it’s a great stocking filler or gift that falls into most budgets. Based on the Maths Trekker I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase other toys and games from Learning Resources, it should definitely be your first port of call for gifts for children age 1 right up to12. Take a look at their website and you will surely find something suitable, making this year’s Christmas gifting less stressful and more of a joy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

RRP: £12.00

This product can be purchased from Learning Resources here.