About the project
Numblers is a resource that helps children understand abstract concepts related to arithmetic in an embodied, playful way. Reduces children’s workload by externalizing physically abstract properties of numbers. It is a very effective game that it is also easy and cheap to produce.
The element of discovery in this project came when numbers were given a physical shape with certain characteristics that mapped their mathematical properties. Children normally get stuck with the superficiality of operations without understanding the higher –more abstract– power of their use. This system tried to give numbers a body that children could touch, explore and get to know.
Can we learn numbers and math operations in a more intuitive way?
+-· : numblers is a numerals system that helps children aged between 5 and 7 to get number sense; understand the properties and operations with numbers in a physical and visual way. In order to make it more fun a board game is included so that it is not limited to its use as a support material in classrooms. It has been designed so that it can be easily downloaded from the Internet. It can also be printed at very low cost since it just needs a little bit of black ink and colored A4 paper. It is distributed through a Creative Commons License.
Award
+-·: numblers. Awarded first prize in the International Contest Science on Stage (Hispanic Countries and Portugal) organized by CSIC (High Council for Scientific Research), ICMAT (Mathematical Science Institute), RSEF (Royal Spanish Physics Society) and UNED (National Distance Learning University). 2013.