Boosting self-efficacy with a sorting game
Welche Fähigkeiten fördert Marbelino 2 "Pattern"?
Marbelino 2 “Pattern” by beleduc demonstrates impressively, in the evaluation of the project run by the University of Siena in collaboration with beleduc educational toys, how play-based learning environments promote key skills in pre-school children. The game supports three educational areas at once: art, mathematics and physical awareness.
The educational benefits of Marbelino 2 lie in several complementary areas of learning.
- Art: Children recognise, name and distinguish between colours. In the tests, they grouped coloured balls and matched them to the corresponding coloured circles.
- Maths: Marbelino 2 ‘Pattern’ encourages counting, sorting and a basic understanding of quantities. The children grouped balls of the same colour and counted them on their own.
- Motor skills: By picking up and placing the medium-sized balls, children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and wrist mobility.
The university highlights in particular that the game is suitable for children aged 4 and over and offers additional challenges for older children. Observations also show high levels of motivation, a sense of pride in the results achieved, and cooperative group work.
Fazit:
Marbelino 2 ‘Pattern’ combines the fun of play with clear learning objectives and can be seamlessly integrated into both structured and free-play activities in nursery – a real asset for early years education.
The evaluation arose from a collaboration between the University of Siena and our company, beleduc Lernspielwaren GmbH. Together, we carried out a project led by young researchers which investigated the influence of play on learning processes among children of nursery and pre-school age. During controlled workshops and in everyday nursery settings, play sessions were observed, rules were explained and interactions were documented. The aim was to assess the educational effectiveness of play on an evidence-based basis and to derive specific recommendations for its integration into everyday educational practice.
