Numberblocks is thrilled to announce its collaboration with National Numeracy Day on May 22nd 2024, a nationwide celebration aimed at promoting numeracy skills and fostering a love for maths among children and adults alike.
To commemorate National Numeracy Day this year, Numberblocks is taking its celebrations to the stars, sending a Numberblock Ten toy into space with Sent into Space, to symbolise the campaign’s dedication to reaching new heights in mathematical education.
The Numberblocks Ten toy, customised for her space adventure with Ten's rocket wings and helmet, will be lifted by a huge bespoke stratospheric balloon filled with hydrogen gas. As the balloon rises, the pressure change causes it to expand until it’s taller than Buckingham Palace! Eventually, the balloon will be unable to expand any further and burst, causing the spacecraft to parachute back to Earth at a calculated landing position.
The launch vehicles travel to around 110,000 feet above the Earth, above 99.5% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Sent into Space is a Sheffield-based agency that has conducted over 1000 flights to the upper stratosphere. Every item is sent into space with minimal environmental impact, using nontoxic and recycled materials.
The Numberblocks will celebrate National Numeracy Day with help from some famous faces. Tune into the official Numberblocks YouTube channel to watch a video on how to build a Numberblock Ten rocket withNational Numeracy Ambassador and celebrity maths teacher celebrity maths teacher, Bobby Seagull. Start a dance party by following the Maths and Dancing video with National Numeracy Ambassador and Strictly Pro, Katya Jones Katya Jones from Strictly Come Dancing. You can get involved, too! Download the National Numeracy resources kit which is full of free activities including an exciting space-themed Numberblocks activity pack.
On National Numeracy Day, the Numberblock One mascot will be joining National Numeracy Ambassadors Katya Jones and Bobby Seagull in a live stream of number fun activities from a London school to encourage young children to have fun with numbers!
This collaboration combines a nationwide campaign promoting numeracy confidence and skills with a beloved family brand known for making maths fun and engaging. By joining forces, Numberblocks and National Numeracy aim to bring families together while fostering a love for mathematics.
Joe Elliot, creator of Numberblocks, said, “We’ve always taken inspiration from the moon landings — very clever people working together to solve the biggest maths problem in history — and it’s a real thrill that our very own rocket Ten will be taking her own giant leap into space. Even better that it’s part of our important ongoing partnership with National Numeracy to make a real difference to the lives of young learners.
The whole team here at Numberblocks are great admirers of the charity's work promoting numeracy across the UK and supporting families with maths education. The Numberblocks are all about having fun with numbers and building a life-long love of maths and we hope that our young fans will love tuning in to watch Ten's space adventure and taking part in all the brilliant National Numeracy Day activities including the exclusive Numberblocks activity pack."
Sam Sims, Chief Executive of National Numeracy, said: "We're thrilled to partner with Numberblocks again this National Numeracy Day. Working together to help young learners feel confident with numbers is vital. A positive attitude to numbers will help them daily throughout their lives. Blasting Numberblock Ten into space is quite literally out of this world, and we hope children feel equally starstruck by maths."
Subscribe to the official Numberblocks YouTube channel to watch the epic journey into space on the 22nd May 2024.
Sign-up for National Numeracy Day to download the Numberblocks space activity pack: https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/news/join-our-space-themed-national-numeracy-day-live-event-children
