Product Tested By Carol Day – Amelia & Evie – 7 & 4 Years
Carol Awarded The MathLink® Cubes Activity Set Numberblocks® Express Train 5/5
When this arrived looked well made and attractive packaging and product for a child. Really great idea, learning while playing is a great way to make it fun! Easy to follow instructions even my kids could understand them pretty well. They found pieces easy to hold, use and build. My children really enjoy he TV show, we had it on while they were playing with the toy. They recognised the toy from Numberblocks without me even saying it and starting singing the song. This made them more excited to play with it. They built the train right away and used it then changed it up and tried to build other things too. Both my children enjoyed the cards and loved working together to do the challenges. This game encouraged them to practice counting, adding and subtracting as this was the main part of the game. The game asks number questions while using the train and parts to help with answers. The Numberblocks Express episode was a big hit for Evie, she really liked the episode and loved doing the activities. This did keep my children entertained and was played with for quite a while before moving away from it. This did help them improve their maths skills. Both my daughters enjoy learning and this was a great tool to make numbers fun and less like work. They have revisited this toy a few times since we’ve had it. They would play this together in the living room They liked that it could be broken down into more games not just one. They enjoyed building the train. I love how it didn’t seem like they were learning as they were having fun but they were picking up more than they thought. My 4 year old yes she loved it, my 7 year old enjoyed it but was a bit young for her. Definitely a great educational toy to have in early schools. This would be great to use in a group settling it as a single educational toy and would work really well to start off with basic maths. The quality is excellent. I think it’s a bit pricey and that’s because it’s a TV show brand however it is a good size pack and great quality so I would be happy to pay the price for this toy. I would buy this as it is a great aid for learning, brilliant for starting out with maths and makes it fun. I’m always happy to recommend toys that are high quality and I think this is a lovely toy that’s beneficial to kids. There’s no negatives to this toy. We really enjoyed using this toy, it was educational and fun. My two daughters really enjoyed using this toy together and making games and using the cue cards to do different activities. This is the sort of toy that is really beneficial to young age group children. Carol Day – Amelia & Evie – 7 & 4 Years
Product Tested By Abby Cope – Nate 3 Years
Abby Awarded The MathLink® Cubes Activity Set Numberblocks® Express Train 4.4/5
Lovely eye-catching product supplied in a sturdy cardboard box. Looked very appealing and my son wanted to play with it straight away. A good quality product that was well packaged. And very recognisable as the Number Blocks brand – so my son knew what it was straight away. A brilliant concept. My son loves trains so for us, this was a win win! And such a fun and engaging way for them to learn about numbers. My son already knows and loves number blocks, so it was great to have a toy in the same brand. A great way to make learning fun and exploring numbers from a young age. Instructions were helpful and easy to follow. It took a little bit of time to figure out all the stickers and where they went on the cubes – too fiddly for small fingers. But overall, easy to get out of the box and setup ready to play! I think it’s just the right size and not too small. My son enjoyed linking the train carriages together and pulling it along. My son already knew the show so was thrilled to have a toy that was ‘the same’ that he could play with and already recognisable colours and numbers etc. He absolutely loved building the train. He loved independent play with this and was making different size towers with cubes on top of each train carriage and pulling it along. He also liked dis-connecting and re-connecting all the different carriages and making the train bigger and smaller. We didn’t really use the activity cards with my 3 year old son as he was more interested in just playing with the train and making the tower numbers himself. My 6 year old son however was very interested in the activity cards and was also really engaged with them. My son was counting each block to make the correct tower number, but wasn’t really adding and subtracting. I think that will come as he plays with the train more and starts to get a little older. I don’t think we have watched the train express episode – but now I know there is one, we definitely will! What a great idea for playing alongside together. This did keep my son entertained. He likes to play with it a lot and I think having all the different cubes, colours, number tags etc… there is lots of components for different ways and styles to play. I think it’s really helpful for young children starting off learning their numbers. So engaging and great to be able to visualise each number. And the fact that you can count each cube together and add it to the train. Such a great resource to encourage learning through play. I kept the train in the box visible on the side for a few weeks and he reached for it every day to play with. Played with at home, usually at the dining table with lots of room! He loved to push the train along, counting the blocks on and off ‘pretend stations.’ I think the fact it was a train was the biggest winner for my son. Combining numbers with something my son really loves, like trains, was just brilliant for us! I loved how colourful it was and how easy it was to use. I love that my son can have fun playing trains, his favourite toy, but is also learning numbers at the same time! I have two sons, age 3 and 6 – and they both loved it and engaged with it really well. My 3-year old plays with it so nicely and such a fun introduction to numbers. I think it would be perfect for Pre-School/Reception/Year 1 age – such a hands on educational toy to aid in number learning in the early years. Quality was excellent. A really lovely, well-made toy that I think will definitely last! I think it is in the right price range for a lovely, educational toy that is well made. I think I would buy it, it would make a lovely birthday/Christmas gift for a family member. Great that it comes in a lovely box for this purpose as well. I would recommend and I have already told a friend about it actually, with a young son, to help encourage him with his number learning. Great toy with lots of learning and play involved together which I love. Also love the number blocks branding, that it’s recognisable for my sons, and encourages them to learn more about maths. We loved this number blocks train, such a great idea for an educational toy. Great quality, very colourful, lots of play ideas and some great activity cards to use as well. My boys both loved it and is a well-played with toy! Abby Cope – Nate 3 Years
Product Tested By Katie Ainslie – Rosie 3 Years
Katie Awarded The MathLink® Cubes Activity Set Numberblocks® Express Train 4/5
This looked good quality when it arrived. I think the concept of this game is very good. I found the instructions were not that easy to understand. The pieces were easy for Rosie to hold and use. She enjoys watching the TV shoe and it did help her relate to the game more while watching the show. She did enjoy building the train with help from us. My daughter really just played with the train and we have not used the activity cards yet. This game is ideal to help with number recognition. We have not watched the Numberblocks Express episode. It kept her busy for a wee while but easily put down for something else. I feel she is slightly young regarding improving her math skills but helped her with number recognition. We have played with this toy a few times in her playroom. My daughter liked the numbers on the blocks. I liked how it helped with number recognition. Definitely good age suitability for my daughter. I feel this game would be ideal in nursery setting. This is very robust and high quality. This is a good price for a gift. I would not buy this as was not something that captured my daughters attention. I would recommend if interested in Numberblocks TV show. Good idea and educational. Katie Ainslie – Rosie 3 Years
