Educational Toy · Est. 1795★★★★★ 150 reviews

The wooden toy you don't need to explain

£10.67£16.99 Save 37%

or 4 payments of £2.66 with Klarna

🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.

Express · order today for next-day delivery

Standard · 2-3 working days

Teaches 1-10
No batteries
Solid wood
Age 12m+
Ships 2-3 days
Gift-wrapped
30-day returns
Klarna available

Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795

as seen in

Real talk

A gift that stays with them between visits

You can't be there every weekend. Colin is. This wooden caterpillar sits on their shelf, in their hands, teaching them to count and order numbers 1 to 10 whenever they pick it up. No explanation needed, the pieces only fit one way.

When they call or they ask about their toys, Colin will be the one they remember. The one you gave them.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What arrives in the Jaques box

Colin comes complete and gift-wrapped in our signature ribbon. Just unpack and play.

Counting Caterpillar puzzle showing numbered segments 1-10

In the box

Colin the Clever Caterpillar

10 solid wood segments, each painted with a different number from 1 to 10. Segments click together to form a complete caterpillar. Hand-finished, non-toxic paint, safe for 12 months and up.

✓ 10 segments, numbered 1-10
✓ Solid wood construction
✓ Non-toxic, child-safe paint

Counting Caterpillar in completed state showing all segments assembled

Play style

Learn by putting it together

Kids pull segments apart, jumble them, and click them back in number order. The puzzle is the teacher. Turns counting into a physical, repeatable game with one right answer.

✓ Self-correcting puzzle
✓ Hands-on number learning
✓ Play it again and again

Counting Caterpillar close-up showing vibrant painted numbers and wood grain

In the box

Bright colours, solid wood feel

Vibrant, non-toxic paint on sustainable materials. Heavy enough to feel real, not plastic. The kind of toy a grandchild picks up again and again because it feels good in their hands.

✓ Sustainable wood
✓ Vibrant finish
✓ Durable, lasts years

Ships in 2-3 business days. Gift-wrapped and ready to give.

Was £16.99

Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle: £10.67

While they play

What Colin quietly teaches

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🔢

Number sequence

Segments only fit in order 1 to 10. Kids learn that numbers follow a pattern, not by being told, but by trying and discovering.

🧩

Problem-solving

Every time they play, they're ordering and re-ordering. Builds logic and spatial awareness without feeling like work.

👆

Fine motor skills

Clicking segments together and pulling them apart strengthens hand strength and coordination in toddlers and preschoolers.

🎯

Focus and patience

A screen-free puzzle that holds their attention. No rush, no rewards, just the satisfaction of getting it right.

What families say about Jaques of London

Grandparents and parents say

★★★★★

"Excellent quality wood toys, so well made, no sharp edges, all lovely & smooth, very colourful & plenty of choice. Very reasonably priced & so beautifully wrapped you don't want to open them. Highly recommend this company."

Lynda Evans✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."

Danella Jones✓ Google review

★★★★★

"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."

Irene Johnstone✓ Google review

★★★★★

"We love our toys from Jaques of London. The quality is excellent and they're the perfect size for little hands to hold and play with easily. Beautifully made, sturdy wooden toys that will last for years. Highly recommend!"

Tegan✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Harrods grade gifting for a very reasonable price. Not the usual tat from China. Had several hand picked orders fron Jaques, nice to know its a UK business with old school quality."

John A✓ Google review

★★★★★

"I am a real fan of this company. If only I had come across them years ago when my boys were little. It's my go to for beautiful, good quality toys for my granddaughter now and any gift I need to buy. They arrived quickly, prices are reasonable and the special touch is they are beautifully packaged too. I love the heritage of this business!"

Sarah Lardner✓ Google review

★★★★★ 4.8/5 rated by families across Google and Trustpilot: real reviews, quoted word for word

Get ready for life

Why real play matters

Real brain growth comes from real play.

Open the ribbon-wrapped box

Colin arrives gift-ready in Jaques' signature packaging. No assembly, no batteries, nothing else to buy. Hand them the box.

→

Show them the segments

Pull Colin apart. Mix up the numbered pieces. That's the game. They put it back together, learning 1 to 10 without a lesson.

→

Watch it become their toy

They'll reach for it. Play it alone, play it with you during visits, talk about it with their parents. A gift that bridges the distance.

Why this matters right now

231 years of toy-making since 1795 Jaques has been trusted by families for over two centuries. We know what a toy needs to teach and last.

10 numbers to learn and order Colin grows with your grandchild from toddler counting through to preschool maths, one puzzle that teaches at their pace.

60 days to return if it's not right If Colin doesn't fit, we'll refund. No fuss. You're buying confidence, not a gamble.

230 yrs of making things worth keeping Jaques of London has been crafting games and toys since 1795. This one is built to be handed down, not thrown out.

We really are different

Why Colin beats the plastic puzzles

	Jaques Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle	Cheap Alternatives
Material	✅	❌ Plastic feels cheap in a child's hand
No batteries	✅	❌ Requires AAs and beeping sounds
Self-teaching	✅	⚠️ Adult must guide constantly
Lasts years, not months	✅	❌ Breaks or bores within weeks
Safe paint (non-toxic)	✅	❌ Unknown paint safety
Gift-wrapped ready	✅	❌ Must wrap yourself
Makes them remember you	✅	❌ One of many plastic pieces

Jaques

✅ Solid wood
✅ No batteries
✅ Self-correcting
✅ Years of play
✅ Non-toxic
✅ Gift-wrapped
✅ They'll remember

Cheap alternatives

❌ Plastic feel
❌ Battery hassle
⚠️ Needs help
❌ Months, not years
❌ Unknown safety
❌ DIY wrapping
❌ Forgotten quickly

Ships in 2-3 business days. Gift-wrapped and ready to give.

Was £16.99

Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle: £10.67

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.

Questions & answers

Questions from grandparents buying Colin

Is this right for my grandchild's age?

Colin works from 12 months through to age 4+. At 12-18 months, they'll enjoy the colours and clicking. At 2-3, they'll start ordering segments. By 4, they'll race to complete the sequence correctly. One toy, three years of learning. As Catherine McCulloch said after buying it for her 1st birthday gift: "perfect gift for any babies' 1st birthday."

Will it arrive in time for the birthday?

Yes. Order by 2pm, it ships the next business day. Arrives in 2-3 business days from dispatch. If the birthday is within a week, place the order now and you're safe. Gift-wrapped and ready to hand over the moment it lands.

Is the paint safe if they chew it?

Completely. Colin is finished with non-toxic, child-safe paint. It's tested and suitable from 12 months. The wood is solid and splinter-free. Thousands of toddlers have chewed, played, and grown up with Jaques toys over 231 years.

Won't they outgrow it quickly?

The opposite. At 18 months it's a colour and texture toy. At 3 it becomes a number-learning puzzle. At 5 it's a logic game. Parents tell us their kids still play with Jaques wooden toys at 7 and 8, and many pass them to younger siblings. A toy that grows with them is a gift that costs pennies per year of play.

How much does it cost?

The Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle is £10.67 today (down from £16.99). Klarna is available at checkout if you prefer to spread the cost.

What's your returns policy?

30 days, full refund, no conditions. Return it for any reason and we refund in full. We've been standing behind what we make since 1795.

Ships in 2-3 business days. Gift-wrapped and ready to give.

Was £16.99

Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle: £10.67

Our story

Making toys worth keeping since 1795.

Jaques of London was founded in 1795. We invented croquet, table tennis, and the Staunton chess set. For 230 years, we've been making things that pull children away from passive entertainment and into active, curious, hands-on play.

In 1795, we started making toys that teach without screens or noise, just time-tested design and solid materials. Colin the Clever Caterpillar carries that promise forward: 10 wooden segments that turn counting into discovery, wrapped in ribbon and built to outlast trends. When you give Colin, you're giving a grandchild something their parents and grandparents would recognise. A toy that teaches itself. A gift that lasts.

Toys and games that leave something behind: a skill, a memory, a piece of play that gets passed on.
Joe, Jaques of London

Ready when you are