Montessori Sensory Block Set

Our multi-award winning Sensory Block Set consists of 16 large rubberwood blocks containing beads, transparent acrylic, coloured sand and water/glitter filled pockets in 4 different shapes (square, rectangle, triangle and semicircle). The Sensory Blocks will promote observation in the wider sense, as all the shapes follow the same convention of colour and shape. So for example, regardless of the contents of the block the triangles are always green. The combination of smooth wood exterior and the brightly coloured sensory centre makes a fascinating component with a multitude of educational possibilities for use with children of all ages.

The blocks are the same size as the Large Mirror Blocks (73376), which form a natural extension to this set.

Supports the following areas of learning:

• Personal Development - sensory
• Physical Development - construction
• Understanding the World - observation
• Understanding the World - colour & sound
• Maths - shape & space
• Communication & Language - descriptive language

What the Practical Pre-School Awards testers said:
'The blocks were interesting and enjoyable to play with. There was a lot of opportunity for discussion amongst the children. The children are always very keen to play with them. Would work very well on a light table. Very appealing to the children and the sensory blocks were good for improving knowledge and understanding of the world.'

What the Nursery World Award testers said:
The Sensory Blocks are an innovative multisensory resource that can be used to link in with important elements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as knowledge and understanding of the world, exploration and investigation and creative development. The set of differently shaped blocks are framed by wood and contain beads, transparent acrylic, coloured sand, water and glitter. The 16 blocks in four different colours can be used to explore shape, light, sound, colour, texture, sorting and matching and as building blocks. The bead-filled blocks make different sounds when they are rattled and, used inside a feely bag, can be used for sound and shape recognition. The sand and water-filled blocks can be rotated to help children to learn about the properties of different materials.

One tester found that the children are ‘enthralled by the exploration of light and colour'. She says, 'We have a light box in our setting, and have used the Sensory Blocks on this. We have also used the Sensory Blocks in a feely bag, and the children are excited to guess the shapes and match the sounds. The boys in particular love making structures from the Sensory Blocks, and we have even been able to explore ideas of symmetry and sequences.’

Another setting reported, they are 'fantastic value for money, large in size and enough to go around the group.' She says, 'The children are absolutely fascinated by them. They love shaking the beads and the sand, looking through all the different colours and trying to work out how to get the contents out; fortunately the Sensory Blocks are very durable and safe.'

'They seem really well made - and the children are absolutely fascinated by them.’