Numberblocks Expands Curriculum
Alphablocks Ltd. and Blue Zoo Animation Studio today announce the launch of a new series of their global hit preschool IP, Numberblocks. The 15 new episodes, commissioned by BBC Children’s, will premiere on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, introducing more advanced mathematical concepts and ambitious new creative formats.
Building on the immense educational value that Numberblocks has already brought to young children, the new series sees the beloved block characters delve into a more complex, curriculum-led slate of topics, including perimeter, area, capacity, and data handling. This move reflects a growing industry trend towards enriching preschool content that builds a foundation for formal education. The series will introduce key maths skills like “bridging the ten,” adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, and understanding parts of 50 and 100. This builds on the core educational framework from series creator Joe Elliot and the Alphablocks team.
The series will feature a classic film noir-style episode. In the episode, Detective One returns to help a frantic Number Three solve the case of her missing button. By tracking her movements and reading various clocks and watches along the way, the episode cleverly embeds the concept of measuring and telling time within a compelling, genre-led narrative—a creative flourish designed to engage both children and co-viewing adults.
Adam Shaw, Co-founder of Blue Zoo, said: “With every new series of Numberblocks, our goal is to find the story and comedy in a new area of maths. We want to make abstract concepts tangible, visible, and fun for our young audience. This season, we’re tackling big ideas like measurement and data, but we’re doing it through rescue missions, detective mysteries, and team challenges. The film noir episode is a perfect example of how we can push our creative boundaries to serve the educational core of the show. It’s about showing children that maths isn’t just in the classroom; it’s everywhere, and it’s an exciting tool for solving problems.”
Ruth Cassidy, Editorial Director & Creative Lead of Alphablocks, said: “Our creative process always starts with the maths. We ask ourselves, ‘What is the story within this calculation?’ or ‘What’s the adventure in learning about capacity?’ This series has been about translating those key early years concepts into tangible, character-driven narratives that a child can delight in. Seeing Detective One use the principles of time-telling to crack a case is a perfect example of how we fuse rigorous educational thinking with unforgettable storytelling.”
Following the premiere of the series, new maths concepts will be carefully integrated into the Numberblocks World app and Numberblocks YouTube channel allowing children to engage with their favourite number characters in a variety of ways. The continued success of Numberblocks underscores the global appetite for high-quality, British-made educational animation. The brand has become a licensing and digital phenomenon, demonstrating the power of purpose-driven IP that delivers proven learning outcomes.
The new series of Numberblocks will be available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer from this autumn. Follow Numberblocks on Instagram @numberblocks for the latest updates on the new series.
