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Out of This World Sorting Fun
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Oct 1, 2021 | 2 - 4 Years Math
We had the fun task of testing out one of Learning Resources® latest product releases, the Oodles of Aliens™ Sorting Saucer. This is a great addition to the huge range of sorting products that Learning Resources offer, but what took me by surprise was how well this doubles up as a fun board game too!
What’s Included
I love how clever this product is in terms of the design. You get a large flying saucer container, which contains six colored sorting trays and has room on top for the popper dice to sit perfectly inside. There are 30 fun little alien counters as well as two Tri-Grip Tongs. As with all Learning Resources products, you also get an informative activity guide, but this one is a little special as it has a fun game board printed on the back!
Sorting to the Stars and Back!
My preschooler LOVES the Super Sorting Pie we have which works on similar principles. There is just something so appealing to little hands when it comes to sorting small objects! When we first played with the Sorting Saucer, my four-year-old couldn't wait to sort the aliens into their correct colored container simply.
Sometimes she chose to do the sorting with her hands, and others with the Tri-Grip Tongs. The Tri-Grip Tongs are perfect for preschoolers. They are a little easier than tweezers but still work all those small hands muscles nice and hard. As she sorted the aliens, she counted how many went into each color container. You can also use the small number cards included to extend the numeracy learning when doing this.
We then took the sorting a little further by using the popper dice and making it a game. We took it in turns to pop the dice and would say out loud the color and number. This was great for developing color and numeracy skills! We would then use the tool to transfer the correct number and color of aliens. This was really fun because it meant we were working as a team to fill up the saucer with the aliens.
Board Game Blast-off!
It was a neat discovery to find that there was a game board printed on the back of the activity guide. It is so brightly illustrated and has some fun rules to follow. We each chose an alien counter and took it in turns to pop the dice to decide how many spaces we could move forward. We raced to the finish with plenty of number recognition and counting happening along the way!
As your child gets older it can be beneficial to make the game more challenging. For example you could add another dice to work in some addition when playing the board game. You could also challenge your child to get an entire alien color family to the finish line, instead of just one little space creature.
The Oodles of Aliens Sorting Saucer is a great addition to your home games collection or even for a preschool classroom. The space theme is really fun, and the sorting and playing possibilities are endless!
Writer’s Bio
Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind, and over on her blog, Find the Little Mind.
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