Playing outside is an essential part of a child's development. From making mud kitchens, to getting to know nature, learning and playing outside will help little learners form key developmental skills such as physical health & self-confidence!
Name of tester: Tracy BakerEstablishment name: Little Bright Sparks fun phonics, literacy and numeracy classesAge range of children: 2-7 yearsProduct tested: Word Construction“Tracy teaches phonics, literacy and numeracy for 2-7 year olds at Little Bright Sparks. Helping children to prepare for school, classes show children and parents how to use the phonics system used in the classroom.â€Â Ratings:Â
What I like about this resource is that it helps to refine motor skills, improve hand-eye co-ordination and strengthen the little muscles in children’s hands. This will help them to hold a pencil correctly and for continued lengths of time.Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
They loved using this product and didn’t realise that they were learning at the same time.  This is useful for special needs children and children that find it difficult to concentrate and sit still to learn. It allows them time to think about the next letter whilst screwing on the previous letter. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
I believe this is something I will be using for many years to come and that it will be a favourite for all of the children I teach (2-7 year olds).Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting?
This is completely unique and different from the current toys that I use.  I have phonics puzzles, kids bingo games and lots of homemade resources but nothing like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
Very cost effective and great value for money.Â
Is the product unique?
Yes, I haven’t seen anything like this on the market! To discover more about Little Bright Sparks visit their Website or Facebook page! Classes are held on Wednesdays in East Malling, Thursdays in West Kingsdown and Fridays in Eynsford. #LoveLearning
Tried & Tested: Word Construction Name of tester: Tracy BakerEstablishment name: Little Bright Sparks fun phonics, literacy and numeracy classesAge range of children: 2-7 yearsProduct tested: Word Construction“Tracy teaches phonics, literacy and numeracy for 2-7 year olds at Little Bright Sparks. Helping children to prepare for school, classes show children and parents how to use the phonics system used in the classroom.â€Â Ratings:Â
What I like about this resource is that it helps to refine motor skills, improve hand-eye co-ordination and strengthen the little muscles in children’s hands. This will help them to hold a pencil correctly and for continued lengths of time.Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
They loved using this product and didn’t realise that they were learning at the same time.  This is useful for special needs children and children that find it difficult to concentrate and sit still to learn. It allows them time to think about the next letter whilst screwing on the previous letter. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
I believe this is something I will be using for many years to come and that it will be a favourite for all of the children I teach (2-7 year olds).Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting?
This is completely unique and different from the current toys that I use.  I have phonics puzzles, kids bingo games and lots of homemade resources but nothing like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
Very cost effective and great value for money.Â
Is the product unique?
Yes, I haven’t seen anything like this on the market! To discover more about Little Bright Sparks visit their Website or Facebook page! Classes are held on Wednesdays in East Malling, Thursdays in West Kingsdown and Fridays in Eynsford. #LoveLearning
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Name of tester: Kerri HibberdTitle: Class TeacherSchool name: Woodside AcademyAge of child: Three years oldAge of school class: Reception; ages four and fiveProduct Testing: Alphabet Acorns Activity Set “Kerri has been a teacher for 11 years. She is currently the phonics co-ordinator at her school and works part time. The rest of the time she is at home with her 3 year old daughter.â€
Ratings:
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I was impressed with how colourful it was. My daughter was very excited and she couldn’t wait to get it out of the box.
How did you use the product?
With my daughter at home, we first found all the matching objects for each letter. She enjoyed using the resource so much that we used it every day for the next week. To extend her learning we tried to use the resource in different ways. We matched upper and lowercase letters and then found all three matching parts, the uppercase letter, lowercase letter and object. I also used this resource for phonics teaching. I chose a letter and asked her to find the object beginning with the same sound and then did this the other way around by choosing an object and asking her to find the matching acorn parts. As she is young and doesn’t know all her sounds yet she needed a little support.
How did you use this product in the classroom?
Within the classroom I used this resource in two different ways, first as an exploration activity for independent learning. I set it up with other outside objects and allowed the children to explore. Some children used it as a matching activity and matched the upper and lowercase letters while others tried to find the matching objects. As a teacher focus I used it as a matching the initial sound and object activity and was also able to assess the children’s phonic and letter knowledge.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
There are lots of benefits to this resource as it can be used in different ways such as letter and grapheme correspondence, initial letter sounds, matching upper and lowercase letters and even sorting colours. There’s even more ideas in the box!
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
To make this even more appealing for schools I think an alternative ‘qu’ should be added. This will enable the resource to be used for phonic activities as well as alphabet activities. I loved this resource and it was very appealing to my daughter and children at the school. I liked the bright colours used and that the letters on the front of the acorn, lid and object all matched in colour so younger children, like my daughter, or less able children, could be told to look for a blue object that matched or a red top etc.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Very good as it also fits in with different topics and stories so can be linked to learning in lots of different ways.
Is the product unique?
The acorn idea is unique and appealing but there are otherproducts on the market for matching objects and letters. #LoveLearning
Tried and Tested: Alphabet Acorns Name of tester: Kerri HibberdTitle: Class TeacherSchool name: Woodside AcademyAge of child: Three years oldAge of school class: Reception; ages four and fiveProduct Testing: Alphabet Acorns Activity Set “Kerri has been a teacher for 11 years. She is currently the phonics co-ordinator at her school and works part time. The rest of the time she is at home with her 3 year old daughter.â€
Ratings:
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I was impressed with how colourful it was. My daughter was very excited and she couldn’t wait to get it out of the box.
How did you use the product?
With my daughter at home, we first found all the matching objects for each letter. She enjoyed using the resource so much that we used it every day for the next week. To extend her learning we tried to use the resource in different ways. We matched upper and lowercase letters and then found all three matching parts, the uppercase letter, lowercase letter and object. I also used this resource for phonics teaching. I chose a letter and asked her to find the object beginning with the same sound and then did this the other way around by choosing an object and asking her to find the matching acorn parts. As she is young and doesn’t know all her sounds yet she needed a little support.
How did you use this product in the classroom?
Within the classroom I used this resource in two different ways, first as an exploration activity for independent learning. I set it up with other outside objects and allowed the children to explore. Some children used it as a matching activity and matched the upper and lowercase letters while others tried to find the matching objects. As a teacher focus I used it as a matching the initial sound and object activity and was also able to assess the children’s phonic and letter knowledge.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
There are lots of benefits to this resource as it can be used in different ways such as letter and grapheme correspondence, initial letter sounds, matching upper and lowercase letters and even sorting colours. There’s even more ideas in the box!
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
To make this even more appealing for schools I think an alternative ‘qu’ should be added. This will enable the resource to be used for phonic activities as well as alphabet activities. I loved this resource and it was very appealing to my daughter and children at the school. I liked the bright colours used and that the letters on the front of the acorn, lid and object all matched in colour so younger children, like my daughter, or less able children, could be told to look for a blue object that matched or a red top etc.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Very good as it also fits in with different topics and stories so can be linked to learning in lots of different ways.
Is the product unique?
The acorn idea is unique and appealing but there are otherproducts on the market for matching objects and letters. #LoveLearning
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Name of tester: Kerri HibberdTitle: Class TeacherSchool name: Woodside AcademyAge range of children: Year 1, age 5-7
How important is programming in the primary classroom?
Due to today’s digital society it is very important that children get to grips with programming at a young age.
How did you use the product?
While most of the children were on computers working on moving a robot I used this resource with one group at a time on the carpet. At first I asked the children what they thought we were going to be doing with the resource and after sharing ideas I told them that we were going to be making a maze. I explained that we had to collect and bring back the robot but we had to use the coding cards to give instructions. The children then explored making simple mazes and we worked as a group to create the code. Next we tested to see if our code worked with one person walking on the maze tiles.Let’s Go Code!™ Activity Set
What are the benefits of the resource?
I liked that this resource was practical. This enabled the children to walk a set of instructions that had been made by the group and helped the children amend the code as they walked it themselves. For example, the children had planned a right turn when in fact they needed to turn left and they only noticed this mistake when a peer walked the code. After some discussion about why our code didn’t work the children were able to come up with the resolution themselves. Â
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
I like how practical this resource is and how it can be used in different ways like cooperative play and team play with the added benefit of adding objects like blocked path. Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
Yes and they are looking forward to using it again independently. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
Coding is now very important so I think this resource will have long term use appeal. I can also see it being used with reception and year 2 children in different ways. Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting? Please provide details.
We have programmable robots and a matching computer programme but no resources like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
A good affordable resource for £30. Â
Is the product unique?
I haven’t seen any products like this on the market.
How important is programming in the primary classroom?
Due to today’s digital society it is very important that children get to grips with programming at a young age.
How did you use the product?
While most of the children were on computers working on moving a robot I used this resource with one group at a time on the carpet. At first I asked the children what they thought we were going to be doing with the resource and after sharing ideas I told them that we were going to be making a maze. I explained that we had to collect and bring back the robot but we had to use the coding cards to give instructions. The children then explored making simple mazes and we worked as a group to create the code. Next we tested to see if our code worked with one person walking on the maze tiles.Let’s Go Code!™ Activity Set
What are the benefits of the resource?
I liked that this resource was practical. This enabled the children to walk a set of instructions that had been made by the group and helped the children amend the code as they walked it themselves. For example, the children had planned a right turn when in fact they needed to turn left and they only noticed this mistake when a peer walked the code. After some discussion about why our code didn’t work the children were able to come up with the resolution themselves. Â
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
I like how practical this resource is and how it can be used in different ways like cooperative play and team play with the added benefit of adding objects like blocked path. Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
Yes and they are looking forward to using it again independently. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
Coding is now very important so I think this resource will have long term use appeal. I can also see it being used with reception and year 2 children in different ways. Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting? Please provide details.
We have programmable robots and a matching computer programme but no resources like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
A good affordable resource for £30. Â
Is the product unique?
I haven’t seen any products like this on the market.
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Name: Emma Vanstone of Science SparksAge of children: 9, 8 and 5 years oldEmma is a busy mum to three even busier children. She is passionate about the importance of science education and making science fun for kids. You can find Emma’s science-based activities and investigations over on Science Sparks, a website bursting with creative and engaging ideas for children of all ages.
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I thought the packaging was instantly appealing and the product sturdy and well made. My children couldn’t wait to open the box and get started.
How did you use the product?
For my five year old we used Colby the Robot Mouse to introduce the concept of programming. She found the direction cards very helpful and the process of planning, coding and then correcting her routes has been brilliant for improving her logic skills.My eight year old was able to code Colby without the direction cards, which has been great for helping develop his spatial awareness and ability to visualise directional changes, as well as working through the process of coding, checking and then amending his code if necessary.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
The Robot Mouse Activity Set is great for improving logic, reasoning, directional skills and for practising following instructions, as well as being an engaging and entertaining introduction to coding.
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
I loved that Colby was so easy to use as well as visually appealing. My five year old could follow the instruction cards without too much help and very much enjoyed trying to code Colby’s route to his cheese. The set is very easy to use with little set up required.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Our Robot Mouse Activity Set comes out frequently without any encouragement from me. Each time it’s played with the children find a new way to explore the set, such as building their own obstacles for Colby or creating their own layouts.
Is the product unique?
I haven’t come across a similar product available yet in the same price range.
Would you recommend this product to a friend?
I would definitely recommend the Code & Go™ Robot Mouse Activity Set, its bright colours, easy to handle design and educational benefits make it a superb addition to any child’s collection of toys and games.
Tried and Tested: Code & Go™ Robot Mouse Activity Set Name: Emma Vanstone of Science SparksAge of children: 9, 8 and 5 years oldEmma is a busy mum to three even busier children. She is passionate about the importance of science education and making science fun for kids. You can find Emma’s science-based activities and investigations over on Science Sparks, a website bursting with creative and engaging ideas for children of all ages.
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I thought the packaging was instantly appealing and the product sturdy and well made. My children couldn’t wait to open the box and get started.
How did you use the product?
For my five year old we used Colby the Robot Mouse to introduce the concept of programming. She found the direction cards very helpful and the process of planning, coding and then correcting her routes has been brilliant for improving her logic skills.My eight year old was able to code Colby without the direction cards, which has been great for helping develop his spatial awareness and ability to visualise directional changes, as well as working through the process of coding, checking and then amending his code if necessary.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
The Robot Mouse Activity Set is great for improving logic, reasoning, directional skills and for practising following instructions, as well as being an engaging and entertaining introduction to coding.
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
I loved that Colby was so easy to use as well as visually appealing. My five year old could follow the instruction cards without too much help and very much enjoyed trying to code Colby’s route to his cheese. The set is very easy to use with little set up required.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Our Robot Mouse Activity Set comes out frequently without any encouragement from me. Each time it’s played with the children find a new way to explore the set, such as building their own obstacles for Colby or creating their own layouts.
Is the product unique?
I haven’t come across a similar product available yet in the same price range.
Would you recommend this product to a friend?
I would definitely recommend the Code & Go™ Robot Mouse Activity Set, its bright colours, easy to handle design and educational benefits make it a superb addition to any child’s collection of toys and games.
Name: Colette B (We’re going on an adventure)Product name: All About Me Family Counters and Activity CardsAge of children: 2, 5 and 7Colette is an experienced primary school teacher and mum tothree.  She currently works part time on supply to allow her to be athome with her children and to run her award winning family life style blog, We’re going on an adventure.Â
What were your initial thoughts about the appearance and function of the resource?
I love how brightly coloured they are and how easy they are to handle.  You know from the outset that both the counters and cards are going to withstand being used over and over again (either at home or in the classroom).  I was immediately struck by just how many ways the counters could be used on their own and then with the addition of the cards you’ve ramped up the opportunities for learning even further.
How was this resource used at home?
We started off just sorting the counters by colour – talking about their size and which family member they represented.  We have also sorted them by type, grouped them into families, ordered them by size.  We’ve practiced repeating patterns with the help of the Activity Cards and also looked at some simple algebra with the “missing number†type calculations.
How could it be used in the classroom?
There are so many ways this could be used in the classroom.  For talking about our families and who is in them.  For sorting by colour, type. For grouping into families. For counting, for simple equations, for repeating patterns – the list is endless!
What did you like/dislike about this product?
I love them. My only niggle is the storage pot could do with being a little sturdier but we’ve just decanted them into a stronger lidded box
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
As a product which can be used independently, in groups or in a guided activity – at home or in the classroom to cover such a range of early maths skills I think the benefits of this resource are huge.
How would you rate the long term appeal of this product?
Considering it has been played with by both my two year old and my seven year old I think there is a really good long term appeal to the product – particularly when used in conjunction with the activity cards to work on simple algebra.
Do you feel the product is unique or different from other resources?
Yes, whilst it bears similarities to other sorting resources, I think the “family†element gives it the edge.
Most importantly… did you have fun using this product?
What were your initial thoughts about the appearance and function of the resource?
I love how brightly coloured they are and how easy they are to handle.  You know from the outset that both the counters and cards are going to withstand being used over and over again (either at home or in the classroom).  I was immediately struck by just how many ways the counters could be used on their own and then with the addition of the cards you’ve ramped up the opportunities for learning even further.
How was this resource used at home?
We started off just sorting the counters by colour – talking about their size and which family member they represented.  We have also sorted them by type, grouped them into families, ordered them by size.  We’ve practiced repeating patterns with the help of the Activity Cards and also looked at some simple algebra with the “missing number†type calculations.
How could it be used in the classroom?
There are so many ways this could be used in the classroom.  For talking about our families and who is in them.  For sorting by colour, type. For grouping into families. For counting, for simple equations, for repeating patterns – the list is endless!
What did you like/dislike about this product?
I love them. My only niggle is the storage pot could do with being a little sturdier but we’ve just decanted them into a stronger lidded box
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
As a product which can be used independently, in groups or in a guided activity – at home or in the classroom to cover such a range of early maths skills I think the benefits of this resource are huge.
How would you rate the long term appeal of this product?
Considering it has been played with by both my two year old and my seven year old I think there is a really good long term appeal to the product – particularly when used in conjunction with the activity cards to work on simple algebra.
Do you feel the product is unique or different from other resources?
Yes, whilst it bears similarities to other sorting resources, I think the “family†element gives it the edge.
Most importantly… did you have fun using this product?
