Play is learning, and this wooden lacing game Number Dragon by Haba is a great example of that. While little hands bring the dragon to life, many things happen at once: fingers become more agile, eyes learn to follow, colors are named, and numbers suddenly gain meaning.
The numbered wooden beads turn this dragon into a colorful counting exercise up to 10. If you thread it neatly in order, a rainbow almost naturally emerges, flowing seamlessly from head to tail. But it's also perfectly fine to do it differently. A dragon with funny jumps in numbers or unexpected colors? Even better. Because that's where imagination begins. What we find so strong about this is the balance between guidance and letting go. Children get a sense of security through the numbers, but at the same time, all the freedom to create their own story. And in the meantime, their fine motor skills develop almost unnoticed, stitch by stitch.
As we've come to expect from HABA, everything feels sturdy and well-designed. This is durable wooden toy that can withstand a beating and provides generations of fun.