Our tickit® Wooden Minibeast Blocks are a great way for your child to examine creepy crawlies up close as the chunky wooden picture blocks are colour printed on both sides with real photographic images of minibeasts from around the world.
The realistic imagery will enable your child to learn about bugs and inspire them to identify insects when out on nature walks or see them in books. Older children can be encouraged to visualise characters in story-telling and creative writing. They can be used as visual conversation starters to discuss with your child bug behaviours, how and what they eat, what eats them, do they change into a different bug through metamorphosis, what habitats do they live in?
Each block is made from smooth 2cm basswood ply making them robust and easy for children to hold. They are freestanding and can be used in imaginative play, to encourage descriptive language skills and an aid to learning the characteristics of a wide range of different insects.
Nursery World Awards 2019
These chunky wooden picture blocks, colour printed on both sides with real images of minibeasts from around the world, were well-received in tester settings. Children enjoyed naming the minibeasts that they already knew and learning the names of the ones that they didn't know. Because they are free-standing, they can be used in imaginative play, and children were reported to spend a lot of time independently playing with the animals, adding stories and characters to their small world play.
Children also made homes for them out of leaves and grass to keep them safe. Following on from this, it opened up discussion about bug behaviour; how and what they eat; what eats them; if they undergo metamorphosis; and the habitats they live in. They also helped with developing descriptive language skills and learning about the characteristics of a wide range of different creatures.
Teach Early Years Awards 2019
"I immediately fell in love with this fantastic resource! The chunky wooden blocks feature a real image of a minibeast on both sides for children to observe and identify. Some feature well-known minibeasts and others something a little more unusual. They are fantastic for generating discussions about characteristics, similarities, differences and habitats. Other uses for the blocks include story prompts, minibeast hunts and for developing descriptive language.
The blocks are a perfect size for small hands to hold and manipulate and are also freestanding. As they are wipe-clean, it doesn’t matter if they get a little muddy outside either! Included in the box is an identification sheet, so adults can support children to recognise and name the bugs."
Set includes: 33 double-sided wooden blocks and colour identification guide in 8 languages.
Size: Mantis block 10.8cm x 8.5cm x 2cm.
Age: Suitable from 12 months.
Product Code: 73410