The children have been absolutely loving playing and learning with the Nexus MagnePad this week. 

This stunning magnetic board is full of metal balls that are lifted to the holes in the surface of the board using the magnetic pen. 

Children can use it to draw, practise writing, letter formation, shapes and even be inspired to try drawing the pictures from the twenty example cards provided.

What did we like about it?

• Develops Fine Motor Skills & Pencil Control– We loved that it’s a novel and interesting way of encouraging children to hold a pen and practise forming letters, shapes and numbers. Great for reluctant writers. It’s also a fantastic resource for fine motor skills-developing those tiny muscles in the hands an fingers that are necessary for learning to write, use a knife and fork correctly etc (find out more about fine motor skills here) 

• Sensory Experience– From the clickety-clack sound of the metal balls when they stick into position, to the magnetic pull you feel through the pen. This resource can be therapeutic for children who require additional sensory stimulation.

• Multi-Use–  It struck me how many different uses the MagnePad has in learning. We used it for practising shape, number and letter formation as well as basic spelling/reading. It can also be used for drawing, learning shapes, basic maths and pattern formation. 

• Developing Attention to Detail– One thing the children really benefited from when playing with the MagnePad was developing their focus and attention to detail. The MagnePad comes with 20 pictures of cards to challenge the player to try and create.  Copying the pictures requires a lot of concentration for children, counting the spacing of the lines and the number of dots per line. Not only that, but it provides a brilliant opportunity for practising counting skills. 

• Fun! Most importantly, the children loved playing and creating with it! It’s enjoyable, portable and unique and really engages kids.