Learning Resources Numberblocks Sequencing Puzzle, Numberblocks Counting Puzzle And Numberblocks Adding And Subtracting Puzzle Review
THESE ITEMS WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER'S OWN.
Reviewed by Emma Brailsford
If you have young children yourself or within your extended family circle you may well be aware of the popular TV show ‘Numberblocks’ shown on CBeebies, aimed at getting pre-schoolers interested in numbers. You may even have found yourself singing the catchy theme tune at times – I know I have! However, before this review, I was less aware of the vast amount of Numberblocks learning products that have been designed to support the National Curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage. I was fortunate enough to get to review three of the Numberblocks learning resources: the Sequencing Puzzle Set, the Counting Puzzle Set and the Adding and Subtracting Puzzle Set.
The Numberblocks Sequencing Puzzle Set contained 50 pieces, all stored within a cardboard box measuring 27.5cm x16.6 cm x 3.8 cm. There were puzzles for sequencing the numbers 1-5, puzzles for sequencing the numbers 1-10 and puzzles for sequencing the numbers 1-20, so the range of puzzles that could be used grows as your child becomes more familiar with number recognition. Each puzzle piece is slim enough to be gripped by little hands and the puzzle pieces have been cut so that they slot together seamlessly, rather than having to be manipulated and pressed down as you get with conventional puzzle pieces – perfect for young children grasping the concept of puzzles. What I particularly liked about this sequencing set was the fact the puzzles were double sided – therefore there were ten puzzles to complete, not the initial five I saw when I opened the box! Once complete, the puzzles (varying in size from 13cm x 15cm to 51cm x 15cm) contained Numberblocks scenes containing favourite characters from the TV show.
The Numberblocks Counting Puzzle Set contained twenty individual puzzles, each consisting of three distinct puzzle pieces focusing on a number between 1 and 20. Each individual puzzle had the dimensions 10cm x 15cm and featured the number in digits, the Numberblocks character and the Numberblobs for the children to count. I particularly liked the fact that the puzzles for the numbers 11 – 19 contained the tens number of Numberblobs in white and the ones number of Numberblobs in another colour – allowing children to begin to understand the significance of tens and ones in the way in which they will be taught in school. All the puzzles were contained within a cardboard box measuring 22cm x 16.5cm x 7.5 cm.
The last box of puzzles reviewed was the Numberblocks Adding and Subtracting Puzzle Set. This puzzle box had the same dimensions as the Counting Puzzle Set which made storing the boxes easy as they could be stacked perfectly on top of each other. This set contained twenty individual puzzles – ten focusing on adding one to numbers within 10 and ten focusing on subtracting one to numbers within 10. Each puzzle had two distinct pieces and featured the Numberblocks characters.
Every puzzle within each set was of good quality and felt durable enough to be handled by children. I liked the design of each individual puzzle having a different coloured border so there was a helpful hint for the younger children to draw upon when completing the puzzle. I am keen that children develop confidence with numbers before beginning school and felt that these puzzles encouraged children to learn key facts about numbers in an enjoyable way. For the price point of £12.50 per puzzle set, I would certainly recommend these products.
Age: three years and up
Rating: 5 out of 5
RRP: £12:50 each
These products can be purchased from Learning Resources here, here and here.