As a homeschooling mom, I am always looking for new educational toys and games to use with my children. Math is not my strongest subject, but my daughter loves practicing her new mathematical skills. With the lack of girls in STEM, I encourage her academic interest. She is especially excited about her burgeoning addition skills. When recently offered the chance to review the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
Price and Design
The HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet currently costs $39.00 with a retail price of $49.00. The 138-piece puzzle teaches the numbers 1 to 10 in a way unlike any other educational toy on the market. Children aged 4 and older learn to solve equations while playing the puzzle game with a fun space theme. Eliminating rote learning, the puzzle allows kids to explore and build mathematical equations while putting the puzzle together. FunComet is an Australian company (which explains the use of maths rather than the American math).
Evaluation
Both my kids love puzzles. While my kindergartener daughter works on her school work, my toddler son often puts puzzles together on the floor. My daughter also loves doing harder puzzles during her play time. She also loves working on her math skills during homeschool lessons. She has really been working on learning about addition recently. She was thus super excited to receive a HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet.
Unlike a traditional puzzle, HappyCalc fits together in multiple ways. FunComet is passionate about teaching kids critical math skills in an engaging way. My daughter loves figuring out the right combinations of numbers to fit the pieces together in various ways. In addition to space ship pieces, the puzzle comes with numbered pieces from 1 to 10. Kids can practice their addition skills by fitting the number pieces together. Smaller numbers are printed on smaller pieces and larger numbers on larger pieces, which helps little learners further conceptualize the relationships between numbers.
In terms of quality, I am quite impressed with the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet. The cardboard pieces are quite thick and sturdy. The pieces fit together easily, even for younger learners, but do not bend or break. My only complaint is that the box is a little on the small side. You really have to line up the pieces in the box to get the lid to close sufficiently. My kids definitely are not adept or patient enough to put the puzzle away on their own yet. The box could be made a little bigger.
Final Verdict
If you are searching for a fun activity that reinforces math skills for your younger children, the 138-piece HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet teaches the numbers 1 to 10 in a way unlike any other educational toy on the market. The puzzle comes with numbered pieces from 1 to 10 that fit together to show relationships between families of numbers. My kindergartener daughter loves practicing addition skills by fitting the number pieces together in various shapes while working on the space-themed puzzle! HappyCalc is an excellent addition to a home, homeschool, or home in which young children are learning addition.
Visit the HappyCalc website for more information or to make a purchase.
Image Credits
Making Math Engaging with the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet © 2017 Heather Johnson
HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet © 2017 Heather Johnson
Opening the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet © 2017 Heather Johnson
Playing with the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet 1 © 2017 Heather Johnson
Playing with the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet 2 © 2017 Heather Johnson
Playing with the HappyCalc Elementary Maths Space Theme Puzzle from FunComet 3 © 2017 Heather Johnson
