GeoSafari Talking Bug Net from Learning Resources is a great way for children to learn facts and information about bugs, something most children are intrigued by and love to touch and explore.

The GeoSafari Talking Bug Net comes with a talking bug net which is well made and a good size, 28 x 14cm.  This requires 3 AA batteries.  There are two buttons on the handle, one for fun facts and the other for quiz, which tests your knowledge on bugs.

There are also six good quality plastic bugs included which the bug net cleverly recognises when placed inside.

These are:

• Praying Mantis
• Spider
• Ladybird
• Grasshopper
• Bee
• Butterfly

The net has two ways to play, you can either drop a bug in the net and listen to over 60 included bug facts or take the quiz, which was our preferable option, where we were given a fact about a bug and had to put the correct bug into the net.

The net cleverly recognises which bug you place into the net and tells you whether you are right or wrong.  You get two chances to get the question correct before it moves onto a new question.

The GeoSafari Talking Bug Net is aimed at ages 4-8 years, perfect for 6 yr old Miss M who was eager to have a go.  It was Easter weekend when we gave the bug net a good testing so Miss M comes complete with a little Easter bunny face!

Miss M enjoyed playing the quiz on the bug net and was thrilled when she put the right bug in the net.  The questions were challenging, I couldn’t answer them all myself, but this became the learning element of the game.  We were all learning at the same time and you could see the thinking process in Miss M’s head as she tried to decide which bug fitted the question.  When I knew the answer I’d try to prompt her but it was great to see her building on her knowledge as we played.

Miss M was unfamiliar with two of the bugs in the set, the grasshopper and the praying mantis so that gave us immediate talking points.  The Talking Bug Net is a great way to gain new knowledge, facts and information about bugs, from simple to more advanced facts.  If you press the button for fact learning mode, you place a bug in the net and it tells you something about the bug.

In the quiz mode the type of questions can be anything from “Which bug has 8 legs?” to “Which bugs hibernate over the winter?”.  By listening to some facts first, you can put your new found knowledge to the test with the quiz, a fun and interactive way to learn.

We really enjoyed trying out the GeoSafari Talking Bug Net, a fun educational toy that can be played alone or with others.  You can play it for as long or short a time as you want, so it’s a great way to fill any spare time and gain a bit of new knowledge.  The only thing we found a little frustrating was that after you had two attempts at the question, it moves onto a new question without informing you of the answer which sometimes left Miss M wondering which bug was correct.

Overall this would be a good toy for any avid little bug hunters out there to build up their factual knowledge on these creepy, crawlie creatures.  It also helps children to recognise and distinguish the mini beasts through their colours, number of legs and whether it has wings etc.

A simple, but fun and interactive way of learning that children enjoy!

Why not take a look at the GeoSafari Talking Bug Net over on the Learning Resources website?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the bug net in order to write the review.