Let be honest sometimes learning can be hard work.As parents, we often worry about whether or not our children are learning the way they are meant to, and when they struggle we are often quick to look for English, Maths and Physics Tutors to help. However Joshua has found most learning super easy. He has a natural flair for spelling and mathematics and we are immensely lucky he likes them both.
What he does struggle with is finding new things to love. He is a creature of habit and won’t tend to want to learn anything else unless you find things that are fun.
Recently we were thrilled to receive delivery of toys from Learning Resources who have been designing and creating toys for over 30 years that are educational, yet fun and I have been eagerly awaiting them to share with Joshua.
Joshua has been eagerly learning his times tables of late but he has struggled to interpret it into an everyday situation so we were thrilled when Learning Resources sent out the Pretend and Play Calculator Cash Register (£37.80) in the delivery.
The Pretend and Play Calculator Cash Register is ideal for practising maths and learning to use the calculator element that this product has that similar products don’t have.
It features large easy to push buttons, a large display and could even be used to hold real money if you wanted. Although it comes with a super array of paper money and coins that all look immensely similar to our english currency.
Joshua loved how he could transfer his money box month into the cash register and he has been working hard to also work on trying to understand how money works in really life now too in the shops when we are out and about.
The second item we were sent has to be one of the ingenious toys we have been sent for a while.
The Code and Go Robot Mouse (£54.00) is for me a super toy. Our world as we once knew it was limited on the computer and coding front but like everything else, time has increased our technical bubble and more and more jobs and products are reliant upon computers and what they can do.
Toys like the Code and Go Robot Mouse is for me a step in the right direction to introduce our children into technology and taking it back to basics and all the while being lots of fun.
The Code and Go Robot Mouse comes with an interchangeable track, maze idea cards, tunnels and of course coding cards to make tracking the changes need for the mouse to get to the cheese.
It took a couple of time for Joshua (age 6) to get the gist of how you needed to add in a left or right turn before going forward on a change of direction but once he got it there was no stopping him.
The mouse was really easy to use and understand and this kind of activity is great for slowing Joshua’s over active brain down and helping him to start making logical steps in his thought processes.
I liked how you can either use the board pieces or take the mouse off track and use in any room at all with the flick of the switch underneath into ‘hyper’ mode it will travel easily over carpets. Joshua has been making his own track in his room without having to get the track boards out which I think is great to adapt the play and make it their own.
The mouse has light up eyes and plays a little sound when it reaches the cheese which Joshua found hilarious. The mouse takes 3 AAA batteries which are not supplied but are easy to fit (you will need a little screw driver)
Overall this has been one of Joshua’s favourite toys for quite some time and I can see it being brought out to play with frequently. He already cant wait to bring it out to play with next week when his friend comes round for tea.
Thanks Learning Resources for allowing us to try out your fabulous toys I am sure these will be firm favourites for many years to come.
Disclaimer: We were sent these products for the purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions were independently formed by members of The Oliver’s Madhouse.
Clare nicholas says
I’ve got that coding mouse for my Nephew and for Harry for Christmas. I have to admit, I’m quite excited to have a play with it
Jaime says
its so funny Clare if they behave like Joshua they will just keep laughing at it when it drops off the board … Joshua jumped when it beeped when it finally went the right way and got to the cheese