Nimuno Mats were developed as a fun & educational *STEAM puzzle toy, designed to teach kids vital Visual Perceptual and Motor related skills through real world play. Mastering these skills lays the foundation for, among others, learning to read, write, problem solve and ultimately navigate the world around them.

Studies have shown that providing children with puzzles and tangible educational toys during early childhood development has long-reaching beneficial cognitive effects. The challenge however lies in providing activities that are fun, engaging and beneficial for a child. Furthermore, knowing how to foster and encourage vital mental and physical skills development outside of the digital world is becoming ever more difficult. 

Our Mats facilitate the development of creativity and imagination, which when coupled with problem solving enables innovation and builds confidence!

What’s unique about Nimuno Mats is its ability to train a young child’s mind to move from 2D to 3D visual perception through its interchangeable puzzle-lock system.

Problem solving is key for accurate shape alignment which is trickier than it seems. The puzzle pieces only align properly when in the correct orientation. This means the tiles need to be flipped and rotated until correct alignment is achieved, making it a fun challenge for adults and children alike which should not be underestimated!

"You see Dad! Not as easy as it looks is it?  - Dylan Wiggill to his exasperated Father

The University of Stanford's *DREME study shows that shape manipulation, stacking, and sorting allows young children to explore and develop spatial sense; furthering the development of aspects like mental transformation, orientation, spatial awareness and spatial language.

These skills prime young minds in preparation for a world where mathematical fluency is important not only for one’s education, but for comprehending the world as a whole.

So why are honing these skills of fundamental importance? Studies show that spatial ideas underlie much of a person's mathematical understanding (addition, subtraction, division, equivalence, multiplication etc), with research showing how spatial knowledge and language predict future academic performance in kids (Ginsberg & Oppenzato, 2017). 

*DREME (Development and Research in Early Math Education, Stanford University).  

Fine Motor Skills like In-hand manipulation and Hand-eye coordination.

Visual Perceptual Skills- Visual perception is our ability to make sense of what we see. Visual perceptual skills are essential for everything from navigating our world to reading, writing, mathematics and memory.

Physiotherapy

Thanks to its chunky soft-touch design Nimuno Mats are also a valuable tool for the rehabilitation of neurological trauma victims as they allow for extended periods of neuro-physical engagement which can be exercised at the hospital or at home. 

Older Minds

The elderly have also found Nimuno Mats to be a fun way to keep their minds active whilst engaging in eye-hand manipulation.