When I came across Little Thinker at the last baby expo, I was in awe. I had to stop and chat to Deenin to find out what was in those 7 little containers. Little did I know there was A LOT happening in there!
What is the thinker box?
The thinker box is the brainchild of Deenin and Prabashni Padayachee. As parents of two young children, they wanted to encourage their children to be curious of the world and instil in them a love of learning from an early age.
The result is thinker box – an innovative and simple all-in-one solution for busy parents and caregivers that uses age appropriate activities to make learning fun, interactive and easy for young children.
How does the thinker box work?
Children learn at a rapid rate in the first few years of their lives. As parents, we need to make sure that our children reach the specific developmental milestones for their specific age group.
This is where the thinker box is the solution.
Each module consists of five thinker boxes with handy activity flashcards. Each flash card explains a specific activity the child needs to do, for example threading, and the developmental area the activity is focusing on. It encourages interactive learning through play and tactile experiences. Best of all – all the equipment you need for the various activities is included.
Each module covers a three-month period and regularly introduces new and exciting activities to keep the child interested, entertained and challenged.
The thinker box is available in modules for the following age groups:
3 to 6 months
6 to 9 months
9 to 12 months
12 to 15 months
15 to 18 months
18 to 21 months
21 to 24 months
We received the Thinker box a while back and for the last couple weeks, Kitana and I have been busy exploring. The Thinker box came with 2 books. The Animal book has become of one Kitana’s favourite books and the best part is the small animal figures that she can use to associate with the book. She has fallen in love with books and it’s because of this animal book. She loves animals and this is exactly what she needed.
I love that there is a variety in the box and lots of colours! Every little piece in the box has something to say or teach.
When I opened the first box, Kitana chose what she wanted to play with and that was the bubbles which almost every kid loves.
Each box is tied to the next one, it’s like a journey of teaching as you fit each key to the puzzle. By Friday, you’ve completed the puzzle and your child learnt a bunch of new things. I can go on and on about this product because honestly I haven’t come across something so clever.
Why I love Little Thinker:
1. it’s easy to use and carry around when traveling.
2. Variety of activities in 1 box.
3. Lots of different colours and shapes.
4. Each piece has an activity.
5. Your child learns something every day and will never get bored.
6. Boxes are labelled for each day so you don’t get confused.
7. It’s the perfect gift for a first time mom.
What can improve?
1. A separate piece of paper for parents to see what belongs in which container. Kitana has mixed everything up.
2. Labels in the back of flashcards to say which day box they belong in.
3. Would be great if they introduced more boxes for bigger kids especially for maths and science.
Little Thinker contact info:
Website: www.littlethinker.co.za/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Thinker
Twitter: www.twitter.com/littlethinkersa
15 comments
I don’t totally agree with this blog, I bought the little thinker set 18-24 months and it has everything repeated in the boxes, eg bubbles, play dough, zips etc will be in all boxes. There are lots of flash cards but not all of them have activities related to the box, most of the cards have stuff that you need in the house, eg magazines, dress up clothes, etc. these things are not made clear to you when you buy the box. I would use google and rather do the stuff myself, most of the activities are online!
Hi Tina, sorry you feel that way. Each day suppose to build from the previous and that’s how I used it. My daughter loves play dough and bubbles so she was impressed. She has learnt a lot because of Little Thinker. She mixed up everything, as I said I wish he created a list for us parents to know what’s in each box. This is for parents who don’t have time to sit on google or Pinterest or some who don’t even have access to internet. It’s an easy way out unless you have time to plan your child’s activities. It should be for an hour a day, you can always mix and match. I will do a video on it so you can see how I work with it. Thank you for reading and your comment, I appreciate it and love hearing what other moms think. We all don’t have good reviews on the same products.
Lovely concept, pity it only goes up to two years. My daughter is 26 months old and we have made up her very own busy box. Children need to develop many skills in order to be ready for school. Perhaps you should extend your range up to 6 years?
This is a really cute concept
Such a cool idea! My nephew is almost three and very into his animal toys right now!
This is a great idea. Forwarding it to my sister-in-law who has a 6 mos. old. Thanks for sharing.
This looks great and I agree, it would be awesome if they had boxes for slightly older kids like preschoolers.
Love this concept and I do agree with you on having a separate piece of paper to help parents put the pieces together in the right box will be a big help.
Great little idea – I don’t have kids right now, but this is super cool to think about when I do!
what a cute idea! I don’t have kids, but it is so super cute1!
This is a great idea to keep the littles busy while I homeschool my older children. Total attention grabber! Great idea.
Hi, we live in Cape Town South Africa – where would i be able to purchase this wonderful product?
Hi Anique, you can order on their website (email them) and they will deliver.
This sounds like such a great concept, I bet my little one would love it.
My daughter would love this. I am always trying to find ways to stimulate her. Thanks for sharing.