When a young child counts “one, two, three,” they may be reciting sounds without connecting those words to real quantity. Bridging that gap — between verbal counting and true number sense — is one of the most important tasks in early childhood maths.

These wooden number blocks give children a physical way to explore the numbers 1 to 10. The set includes 20 wooden blocks and 15 double-sided activity cards offering 30 different play modes. Children stack, sort, and balance the blocks — building towers, ordering sequences, and comparing sizes while handling the numerals they are learning to recognise.

Kenya’s CBC Mathematical Activities area for PP1 and PP2 centres on the Numbers strand: counting, recognising, and ordering numbers. A teacher or parent can use these blocks to run a simple “build the sequence” activity, asking the child to arrange blocks from 1 to 10 in order, or set a balance challenge that introduces the early concept of more and less — directly practising competencies outlined for pre-primary levels.

Manabu Quest includes this set because it pairs a clear learning goal with open-ended play, and works just as well on a classroom activity mat as it does on a kitchen table at home.

Develops: Number recognition and one-to-one counting from 1 to 10, alongside fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early understanding of numerical order and comparison.

Perfect for: Children aged 3–6 (PP1 and PP2), for use at home or as a maths activity station in early childhood classrooms; also suitable for Grade 1 consolidation.

Curriculum aligned: CBC Mathematical Activities — Numbers strand (PP1–PP2); consistent with Montessori-style concrete number learning, where physical objects anchor abstract numerical concepts.

What’s included: 20 wooden number blocks (digits 1–10) and 15 double-sided activity cards with 30 guided play scenarios; 35 pieces total. Block dimensions: confirm with supplier.

How to use: Place an activity card face up, ask the child to read the stacking challenge, then build the matching structure — progressing from simple number ordering to multi-block balance tasks as confidence grows.

Also great for: A family number game at home, where players take turns stacking blocks in sequence and compete to keep the tower standing without toppling it.