Geoboards + Kids Picture Books

This is a toy that might not be familiar to many families. It’s called a geoboard, and it’s educational and fun. Geoboards are (usually) square plates with raised pegs or notches in a grid. Children stretch rubber bands of varying lengths and colours around the notches to create patterns and pictures.

While it is very simple in its design, there is a lot for kids to learn here. They are subconsciously learning about geometry, like area and angles. We’ve never had a set of cards like the toy above does, but that hasn’t stopped my kids. During lockdowns, our geoboard got used as a school-type activity to supplement the kids’ maths. We have also loved taking this to places where the kids need to keep occupied and quiet as this is a really quiet activity.

This is a great gift, because many families won’t have one. Below I’ve included a few books that would make a fun match to complete a geoboard present.

Shapes, by John Reiss

For preschoolers, this retro classic board book is all about shapes. It is light on words, there is no story, but there is character and detail on each page. The colours, patterns, and design of this book feel modern, but also dated, I guess that makes it timeless. Even though my kids were well beyond preschool when we borrowed this from the library, they still loved it. But for gifting, you definitely want to give it to a 2-3-year-old.

It’s My Rubber Band, by Shinsuke Yoshitake

Just like Shinsuke Yoshitake’s other books, this picture book takes the reader to imaginative and hypothetical situations as the main character philosophises about their life and possibilities. The book opens with a young girl discovering a rubber band and asking to keep it. It is hers. Her treasure. Her tool, friend, weapon, and assistant. Kids will laugh out loud at the make-believe adventures one girl can dream up because of one rubber band. It will speak to the desire for resourcefulness and competence that all children want to build and express.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, by JoAnn Deak and Sarah Ackerley

This non-fiction picture book, ideal for 5+ yr olds, is all about what the brain is and does. After learning about the different parts of the brain, readers will come across the analogy of a rubber band. That our brains can be stretched to learn and help us accomplish new and difficult tasks. And sometimes we need to risk being wrong in order to stretch our brain.

Lift the Flap: Fractions and Decimals, by Usborne

If you’ve got a super keen maths whizz or one who struggles with mathematical concepts, this Usborne book is an entertaining way to see fractions and decimals. We have one child who is already voicing that she feels less capable and thus less confident with the maths covered in her classroom at school. Colourful, well-planned, engaging books like this are a great option to disguise the presentation of tricky maths ideas. Kids will be so keen to lift the flaps and take in all the information, that they might not even realise they are learning something they thought was too difficult.