One particular student was in Grade 2 and struggling with basic addition facts to 10 (like 3 + 7 = 10 or 5 + 5 = 10).

Because she hadn’t built this essential foundation, every new maths concept — subtraction, multiplication, division — became harder than it needed to be. No matter how many lessons we did, the moment she went back to independent work, she found herself stuck again.

Her mum asked me for extra worksheets for home, but worksheets weren’t the answer. Like many children, she was a kinesthetic learner

She needed to touch and manipulate objects to make sense of numbers. Screens and repeated worksheets simply weren’t connecting the dots for her.

So instead, we began using hands-on materials like counters and cubes.

Slowly, she began to see the patterns in numbers — and once she understood, everything became easier. I sent some spare counters home with her, and each evening she and her mother spent just 5–10 minutes together at the kitchen bench while dinner was cooking. Over the year, her confidence and skills grew enormously. Not because she worked harder, but because she worked in a way that matched how she learns.

After nearly a decade of experiences just like this (in Australia and overseas) I realised something important:

There aren’t enough resources that empower parents to support their child’s learning in meaningful, hands-on ways.

There are endless worksheets online, and thousands of maths apps. But worksheets can be boring, and screen time is something many families are trying to reduce. Meanwhile, in schools, maths learning time is limited. A typical classroom gets around 5 hours of maths a week — and once you factor in transitions, interruptions, and general classroom realities, many students only get 15–20 minutes a day of meaningful practise with materials that really help them learn.

This is where Boxxi Maths comes in.

Boxxi Maths provides small, carefully curated sets of classroom-quality resources, paired with simple, guided activities that parents can use at home — even if you don’t feel confident in maths yourself. You simply open the box, follow the activity cards, and spend a few minutes playing and learning together at the kitchen table (or while dinner is on the stove — just like my student and her mum).

The Original Maths Box is designed for Prep to Grade 2 students, focusing on building the strong number foundations that make every future maths topic easier.

And this is just the beginning.

Sets featuring Base Ten Blocks and curriculum-aligned resources for Grades 3–6 are currently in development and will be available soon.

Boxxi Maths is here to make maths make sense: one small box, one confident learner, and one kitchen counter session at a time.