How to play with the MathLink Cubes Numberblocks 1-10 Activity Set in educational and fun ways

Including 100 colourful interconnecting, stackable cubes, 11 character cards and 15 write-and-wipe activity cards, plus an activity guide, the set is designed to complement the TV show. So, you can watch an episode, then carry out the activity. And because this set is part of a wide Numberblocks range of toys available, the possibilities for play through learning are pretty endless.

Not only has this set won Gold in the MadeForMums 2021 Toy Awards, but it’s also been included in our best educational and learning toys round-up. Many Top Testers Club teachers love it just as much, and here are some of the ways they use it to make learning about numbers – and more – super engaging for young children.

“The cubes can help encourage numeral recognition in a fun and engaging way”

“They’re a fantastic resource and are really appealing to young children. We’ve used them when teaching addition, as they show a visual representation. We encourage children who need a more kinetic and tactile approach to use these cubes to help show physically how numbers can be split up into different parts. Similarly, they’re fantastic for subtraction, as children can see how to physically break numbers down by taking away cubes and showing the remainder.

“The fine motor skills involved in building the Numberblocks is also excellent practice to encourage strength in the fingers needed for writing. I get children to build Numberblocks, then match them to the correct numeral – I find the children who have seen the Numberblocks show at home were highly motivated.”
Pippa, EYFS teacher

“We use them as part of game set up on our maths table for our preschoolers”

“Along with the cubes, we like to incorporate more resources, such as coloured bowls and matching coloured tweezers. The children use the tweezers to pick up the cubes and place into a matching colour bowl, counting as they go along. We get them to collect around 5 of each colour to begin with, then we may say, ‘now you have 5 red blocks, can you take away 2 red blocks from the bowl. How many red cubes are left inside the bowl?’.

“We also use these types of toys to help children learn the concept of ‘behind, in front, below and on top’. For example, I would say: ‘take 1 blue cube and place it behind your chair, then take 3 red cubes and place them on top of your chair’. This also helps them follow instructions carefully and in order.”
Lucy, EYFS teacher

“They’re great for showing the ‘number’ in several different ways”

“When children are learning numbers, they often only see the number in one way, unless you show them. For example, you could put the cubes together in a line, use the same number to build different size rectangles, keep them separate, etc. this helps children have a stronger understanding of the value of the number. It’s really important for them to build and rebuild the cubes themselves – with the same colour and different colours to get that concrete feel. They’re great for kinaesthetic learners, and the bright colours are great, too.”
Laura, primary teacher

“I use them for mathematical investigation – ‘How many different ways to make…?’”

“Once children are familiar with the numbers 1-10 and can count accurately, it’s important they have a good understanding of what makes up each number, to support their learning as their maths knowledge grows. Concrete physical materials are an excellent way to do this. Using the Numberblock characters gives children equipment, plus characters (shapes/sizes) they recognise.

“You could show your child one of the Numberblock characters, such as Ten (or any other number) and ask them to investigate how many different Numberblocks characters they can use to make Ten. Just leave all the characters out in front of them, so they can visually see their shape/size, as well as count the cubes. For example, Numberblock Three and Numberblock Seven can make Numberblock Ten. How many different ways can they find to make the same number?”
Anna, EYFS teacher and SENCo

“There are so many ways to use this set, so children don’t get bored”

“I find the cubes are a must-have resource to use with nursery and reception children – especially during the early days, when they still don’t understand the concept and value of numbers. Children enjoy the vibrant colours and characters, and you can use them for counting, number recognition, place value, patterns, size comparison, sorting and matching, building shapes and counting games.

“My children loved to make towers with them. You can introduce simple counting activities where you count the cubes as you build a tower or create patterns using different colour blocks. This hands-on approach creates a fun learning environment, while laying the foundation for mathematical understanding.”
Andrea EYFS teacher

“I allow the children to play and explore with them as they wish, before adding structure.”

“Get to know the activity cards and directions before you start, then think on your feet how you can adapt the activity to the individual needs of the children. The blocks can be quite tricky to connect together, my 3 and 4 year-olds found this challenging often, so lots of demonstrations, encouraging language and celebrating the success when it happens helps.

Many of my children enjoy acting out the TV episodes they’ve watched, which enables me to expand on their knowledge, spotting the teachable moments. The sheep episode/activity card is a great example. Allowing the child to take the lead retelling the story, gave me a way to deliver the teaching in the moment, based on their interest. I’d also recommend using lots of language while your child is playing: ‘Oh, I see you have 1,2,3,4 blocks’ and ‘You want to make 7? Hmmm, how many do you have now? Okay, let’s count them out’.”
Jade, early years educator

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