The Numtums
Numtums is a fun, energetic television show and website created to get our youngest audience members learning their numbers. The Numtums are ten cuddly creatures with numbers on their tummies. Numtums love to dance (especially with children!), dress-up, play, tickle, fly and, most of all, count.
This show mixes catchy sing-along counting songs and comical skits that will help children recognise the shapes of numbers and remember what order they should be in. All this counting goes on in a funny, bouncy world that is sometimes cartoon, sometimes real, and sometimes both.
Some serious work went into creating the show. Educational experts have devised brand new ways to engage and entertain young children, helping them to develop counting skills while laughing and playing.
The Numtums website
On the Numtums website you’ll find lots of short, funny number-learning games. The clever thing about them is they can be played one after another in a way that feels like your very own episode of Numtums.
You can pick whether to play alone or with a grown-up, whether to use a webcam, what numbers you want to focus on, or which type of game you like best. Playing is as simple as hitting the space bar on your keyboard, so even very young children will still be able to play.
Children can enjoy as many or as few of these games as they like, or they can go back and play their favourite game again and again.
Educational value
Between the ages of two and a half and four, children should be able to:
· Say some number names in sequence
· Recognise numbers 1-10
· Count up to 10 objects
· Match number and quantity correctly
· Use basic mathematical language, such as ‘more’ and ‘a lot’
Numtums shows and games provide a wealth of material created to help children do all of this and also give grown-ups an opportunity to share in a child’s development.
You can help your child by reinforcing number names and shapes by counting together and talking to your child about numbers. You can also count things and spot numbers in everyday situations.
The Numtums Games
All the Numtum games help with number recognition, number order and counting. Here’s a list of each one:
Poppiddy Pop
Pop the balloons by pressing the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse) and count as they burst.
Num-bots
Move the robot into position and lower it into the correct empty position in the number-line using the space bar (grown-ups can use the mouse).
Quack Quack Numtums
Move the duck into position and lower it into the correct empty position in the number-line using the space bar (grown-ups can use the mouse).
Number Painting
Paint a number in the air using using web-cam motion control by waving your hands (or any type of movement in front of the screen). You will have to set the webcam up for your child. You can also play the game without a webcam…by using the space bar or mouse.
Flying Numtums
Trace a number in the air using web-cam motion control by waving your hands (or any type of movement in front of the screen) Watch the Numtum fly in his plane leaving a vapour trail behind of a number. You will have to set the webcam up for your child. You can also play the game without a webcam by using the space bar or mouse.
Numtum Tickle Time
Simply wave your hands in front of the computer screen to tickle the Numtums. Numtums like being ticked! You will have to set the webcam up for your child. You can also play the game without a webcam by using the space bar or mouse.
Sand Time, Numtum Sparkles, Slime swipe
Wipe away the sand, glittery sparkles or slime from the screen to reveal a number by waving your hand in front of the screen. You will have to set the webcam up for your child. You can also play the game without a webcam by using the space bar or mouse.
Footy Tums
See how many balls you can shoot into the net by pressing on the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse). You can help your child by prompting about amount and asking how many balls need to be kicked into the net, counting up as you go along and prompting when it is time to stop.
Drumtums
Bang the drum by pressing the spacebar (grown-ups can use their mouse) and watch the Numtum’s drum solo at the end!
Sponge painting, Potato printing
Paint a number all over the screen by hitting the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse). Use the mouse to dip the sponge into the different paint pots and click on the tick button to finish.
Hat-attack
See how many hats a Numtum can balance on its’ head. Press the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse) to move the hats from the hat stand onto the Numtum’s head.
Juggling Numtums
See how many items the Numtum can juggle without dropping them. Press the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse) to pass the items to the juggling Numtum until all items are being juggled!
Numtum Puzzle
Put the jigsaw pieces together by pressing the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse) before enjoying the funny animated Numtum at the end!
Skipping Numtums
Make the Numtum jump over the skipping rope a certain number of times by hitting the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse).
Bouncing Numtums
Make the Numtum bounce up and down on a trampoline by hitting the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse).
Numtum Tune Time
Play a tune on the organ by pressing the organ keys using your spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse). Watch the Numtum pop out of the pipes and don’t forget to listen to the tune you made at the end!
Knock Knock Numtum, Hide n Peek
Find the Numtum hiding behind one of the doors, or behind one of the bushes. Count along and see if you can find it by pressing the spacebar (grown-ups can use the mouse).
Super Numtum in the Street
Super Numtum searches out numbers in the real world. Help the Super Numtum find numbers in the street, or kitchen, or funfair…. using the magnifying glass….press your spacebar (or grown-ups can use the mouse).
GU Info
