London Toy Fair with The Mark Makers

At the end of January we exhibited at the 2020 London Toy Fair! Organised by The British Toy & Hobby Association, it is the UK’s largest trade event for all things toys, games and hobbies.

We were delighted to be there with our friends at Eduk8 Worldwide who are bringing our exciting new Mark Makers range to life.

But who and what are The Mark Makers?

They make up an innovative, easy to follow, early writing programme that is targeted towards children ranging in age from 5 months old to 5 years old. It has also been adapted for older children and those with special needs.

Little Learners is on a mission to get every child to make their mark and develop their early writing skills in a fun and exciting way. For the more enjoyment that children get out of mark making, then the more confident and prepared they will be for the step-up into writing at school.

How are we doing this?

Our mark making programme is made up of 4 characters who represent the 4 main marks that make up all letters, numbers, patterns and shapes.

1. Lionel: a bright red soldier mark for straight lines
2. Archie: a cheerful rainbow mark for curves
3. Swirlo: a magical purple mark for circles
4. Ziggy: a green monster mark for zig-zags (and our chief mascot here at Little Learners!)

We practice these marks in Little Learners classes up and down the country and have found that repetition in mark making is key. Replicating each mark over and over again helps it to become recognisable to your child.

Included in The Mark Makers range so far are:

• 4 story books, written and designed by Rachel Fay – a qualified early years teacher and the director here at Little Learners. Each story follows the journey of a specific Mark Maker character.
• An activity book to help children mark make at home, and then turn their marks into letters.
• Specially designed stickers for each Mark Maker character.
• A supplementary guide for parents so that you can play a crucial role in helping your little ones to develop their writing skills from a young age.
• Soft toys for each Mark Maker character.

We know that if children can make each of the 4 marks represented by the Mark Makers, then they will be able to form every number, letter and shape they will ever need in life. We are going to make writing more accessible for every child

After creating such a buzz at London Toy Fair, keep an eye out for our growing range!