Learning Blocks

Numberblocks

Recommended Ages

Preschool (ages 3-6)

Numberblocks is an animated math series from the BBC that teaches early numeracy through charming characters made of stacked blocks. Each episode explores concepts like counting, addition, subtraction, and simple multiplication by showing how Numberblocks combine and split, helping kids visualize how numbers work. Preschool and early elementary learners absorb patterns, number bonds, and place value almost effortlessly through songs and stories. Parents appreciate its clarity and conceptual depth compared to many “edu-tainment” shows, making it a top pick for screen time that truly supports math learning.

Ideal for roughly ages 3–7 who are drawn to bright animation, love to sing along, and are ready to move beyond counting into understanding how numbers are composed, decomposed, and related.

Pros

Short, colorful episodes that build deep number sense through visual patterns, stories, and songs; many parents report their young children picking up addition, subtraction, and even early multiplication concepts just from watching and playing along. 

Cons

Fast‑paced, noisy, and visually busy; some sensitive kids (and adults) find the sensory load overwhelming, and the show tops out around early‑elementary concepts so it won’t cover later math. 

As a broadcast/streaming series, Numberblocks itself isn’t something ESAs or charters typically fund directly, though some programs may reimburse families for related workbooks or manipulatives; check your provider’s rules if you plan to purchase physical Numberblocks resources as curriculum.

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Numberblocks
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Skills

What kids will learn
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Math
Math
Early Learning
Early Learning

Numberblocks Mission

Numberblocks aims to give young children a deep, intuitive feel for how numbers work by turning them into lovable block characters who combine, split, and play their way through carefully sequenced stories that match how early maths is best learned.

Numberblocks Story

Created by Joe Elliot with Alphablocks Ltd and animated by Blue Zoo for the BBC, Numberblocks launched on CBeebies as a sister show to Alphablocks; developed in partnership with the UK’s National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, the series uses short, tightly focused episodes to introduce key number concepts and has grown into multiple seasons, specials, manipulatives, and classroom resources used by teachers and families around the world.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Numberblocks

A typical Numberblocks session is bright, bouncy, and musical: colorful block characters slide and stack on the screen, voices chant “One, another one is two!” and kids sing along while clapping, jumping, or stacking their own towers on the living‑room rug. The episode wraps just as attention starts to wander, and you might spend another 5–10 minutes counting toys, rearranging blocks into new number shapes, or taking a picture of your child’s favorite “number friend.”

Numberblocks is a short animated maths series you stream through platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or the official Numberblocks World app. Families usually watch episodes in numerical order so kids meet the characters 1–10, then move into bigger numbers and more advanced ideas like place value and simple adding. You can treat each 5‑minute episode as a mini‑lesson: watch together, pause to count or build the shapes with blocks or linking cubes, then replay or extend with a quick hands‑on activity.

For toddlers and young elementary students, it’s most effective if an adult or older sibling watches alongside, models counting and combining blocks, and helps connect what’s on screen to real‑world objects; once kids know the characters, they can rewatch independently.

No academic prerequisites—Numberblocks is designed for preschool through early elementary learners who are just beginning to recognize numerals, count objects, and notice patterns.

Numberblocks uses animated characters to model number sense and composition, making it fantastic for early learners and many kids with dyscalculia or math anxiety. Short episodes and concrete visuals support autistic, ADHD, and language‑delayed children; adults can reinforce concepts with manipulatives at home.

Numberblocks is one of my top recommendations for young children with dyscalculia or early number-sense challenges. Each character literally embodies its quantity with cube-based visuals, subitizing, and part‑whole relationships woven into stories and songs. It is not a full curriculum, but as a regular “math cartoon” plus hands‑on play using Unifix cubes or LEGO to recreate the episodes, it can significantly strengthen number sense.

Numberblocks teaches early math with colorful animated characters, songs, and visual number stories, which can help many sensory-sensitive kids grasp concepts without heavy worksheets.

Numberblocks resources often appear in ranges of educational toys selected for children with special educational needs (SEN), and their clear, visual modelling of number concepts can be especially helpful for young learners with general developmental delays or early numeracy learning difficulties who need concrete, repeatable representations of quantity.

Excellent early‑math option for many 2e kids: highly visual, story‑based models of number sense support both gifted pattern‑spotters and children with working‑memory or language challenges. Watching together and playing with blocks afterward strengthens the concepts.

Numberblocks is one of my top recommendations for young children with dyscalculia or early number-sense challenges. Each character literally embodies its quantity with cube-based visuals, subitizing, and part‑whole relationships woven into stories and songs. It is not a full curriculum, but as a regular “math cartoon” plus hands‑on play using Unifix cubes or LEGO to recreate the episodes, it can significantly strengthen number sense.

Streaming access is handled through whichever service you use (for example Netflix or the Numberblocks World app), so cancellations and refunds are governed by that platform’s terms rather than by the Numberblocks creators.

May not be a match for families avoiding screens, children with strong sound or motion sensitivity, or older learners who already have a solid grasp of basic number concepts and need more challenge.

For similar concept‑rich early math, families often combine or swap with DragonBox Numbers/Nooms, Khan Academy Kids, or hands‑on programs like RightStart or Math for Love games. 

The Numberblocks team continues to release new episodes, higher‑number adventures, and app content that build on earlier concepts, so the show can grow with your child from early counting into addition, subtraction, and even multiplication. 

Keep a basket of blocks, Unifix cubes, or Lego nearby and invite kids to “build the episode” while they watch, then pause to ask them to show other ways to make the same number.

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Meet Joe

Joe Elliot is the creator and executive producer behind Numberblocks and Alphablocks, a writer and showrunner who has spent years translating early-years literacy and numeracy research into playful television; working closely with educators and animators, he designed the Numberblocks characters and world to make abstract maths visible and emotionally engaging for preschoolers.