Spending time outdoors is always a great thing to do, what ever the weather. Even if it is cold it is well worth going out to get some fresh air. Also outdoors can be very education with lots to learn about.
Learning Resources is all about learning and so they have invented a toy that is perfect for outdoor play and learning at the same time.
It is called the Measure Mate and is all about discovering measurements, mostly for things out doors.
So the measure mate comes in 7 pieces but is a 5 in one toy to help measure the things you find outdoors. It comes with 5 different tools which include a vertical measure, callipers, a trundle wheel, spirit level and measuring stick.
Lily has never done any measuring before so she was really excited to give it a go.
But firstly, you need to get your measure mate ready. It is super easy to fix together so then you can start to use it. Then when that is done, you can decorate it as it comes with a huge sheet of colourful stickers. The stickers are also weather proof so they don't peel off when wet which is an added bonus.
So Lily stuck on her stickers and we was ready to head out.
But firstly, you need to get your measure mate ready. It is super easy to fix together so then you can start to use it. Then when that is done, you can decorate it as it comes with a huge sheet of colourful stickers. The stickers are also weather proof so they don't peel off when wet which is an added bonus.
So Lily stuck on her stickers and we was ready to head out.
We decided to go to the local park where there are lots of outdoor measuring opportunities to be had.
The first thing Lily decided to get to grips with was using the trundle wheel. The trundle wheel measures distance. You push it along the floor and each time it clicks you start to count. Each click = 1 metre and so you can measure how many meters you can walk.
Lily at times found it easy to manage and at times struggled to control it, but I think mostly that is because she is a dot for her age and she doesn't always put the most effort into things.
We counted together each click, i'm not sure Lily quite understood that we was counting distance in metres but she did enjoy pushing it along while counting.
Lily at times found it easy to manage and at times struggled to control it, but I think mostly that is because she is a dot for her age and she doesn't always put the most effort into things.
We counted together each click, i'm not sure Lily quite understood that we was counting distance in metres but she did enjoy pushing it along while counting.
The cute thing about the wheel is that it is patterned with little marks so then if you push it through mud it will make little marks left behind. Unfortunetly the ground was a little cold and hard to leave marks when we out. But I think a great time to use it will be in the snow and I look forward to trying it out again then.
After we did this we then pulled it all apart to use the other tools. It comes apart really easily and also goes back together really easily, so changing it to use it for what we needed was not a problem.
We then tried it as a spirit level. We put it on a bench to see if it was straight. But we live up north, which is full of hills and so the bench was definitely not sitting straight. I explained to Lily how the little ball needed to sit in the middle to work out if the bench was level or not.
After we did this we then pulled it all apart to use the other tools. It comes apart really easily and also goes back together really easily, so changing it to use it for what we needed was not a problem.
We then tried it as a spirit level. We put it on a bench to see if it was straight. But we live up north, which is full of hills and so the bench was definitely not sitting straight. I explained to Lily how the little ball needed to sit in the middle to work out if the bench was level or not.
We then decided to use this as a measuring stick. I told Lily to go and find things she could measure and so she found a stick. Lily isn't fully clued up with measurements yet (takes after her mummy) but she understood that you had to put the measuring stick next to the tree stick to be able to measure it. We also decided we would measure how thick the tree was. This tool was brilliant for this and the Calliper jaws helped place the tree trunk in line so we could measure it easier.
The measure mate can also be used to measure the holes inside tree's and the Calliper jaws are the best thing to use to do with with.
Lily really enjoyed that she was getting to do something so grown up and instead of wanting to run straight off to the play ground she was engrossed in this activity.
Plus if you wanted to extend the activity more the set comes with a guide that gives more ideas of how each tool can be used.
Overall the Measure Mate is a really decent toy that has a huge learning aspect to it. I find that children love to learn and so this toy makes learning really fun.
And of corse with it being made by Learning Resources, it is super quality and super colourful.
The measure mate can also be used to measure the holes inside tree's and the Calliper jaws are the best thing to use to do with with.
Lily really enjoyed that she was getting to do something so grown up and instead of wanting to run straight off to the play ground she was engrossed in this activity.
Plus if you wanted to extend the activity more the set comes with a guide that gives more ideas of how each tool can be used.
Overall the Measure Mate is a really decent toy that has a huge learning aspect to it. I find that children love to learn and so this toy makes learning really fun.
And of corse with it being made by Learning Resources, it is super quality and super colourful.
After you have finished using your measure mate outdoors you can then bring it in and give it a easy quick clean by simply wiping it down. Learning Resource have also thought about how to store this item and it comes with a netted bag that you can place everything inside and then hang up. Perfect!
This toy is recommended for children aged 4 to 8 and retails at £32.00, it can be bought from the Learning Resources Website.
Do you think your child would Enjoy learning about Measuring?
Already got one for my nephew
ReplyDeleteive been seeing this toy around a lot looks like fun
ReplyDeleteThis looks fab, love the colours and what a great way to get the little ones outside in the fresh air
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great educational toy, and a fun way to learn about measuring distances
ReplyDelete