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

The wooden toy that teaches without a single explanation

£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

Ages 12m,3y
40+ mins play
Teaches 1,10
Solid wood
Non-toxic paint
Gift-wrapped
30-day returns
Klarna available

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

as seen in

Real talk

It's 1:58pm. You need this one before the call.

Colin sits on the playmat and doesn't move. The segments are bright, the wood is weighty, and the puzzle clicks into place in number order so even a pre-schooler works it out alone. No instructions needed. No calling for help. Just 40 minutes of genuine quiet.

You'll finish your call. And when they ask what happened, you'll say: finally, a toy that actually does what it promises.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What arrives

Colin comes in our signature ribbon-wrapped box, ready to gift or give straight to the playmat.

Counting Caterpillar with all coloured segments displayed

In the box

Colin the Clever Caterpillar

One solid wood caterpillar with 10 interlocking segments numbered 1 to 10. Each segment is painted in bright, non-toxic colour. Weight in hand tells you immediately: this isn't plastic tat.

✓ 10 solid wood segments
✓ Numbered 1,10 in sequence
✓ Snaps together with satisfying click

Close-up of caterpillar segments showing number detail

Play style

Order and snap

Mix the segments. Let them build Colin in the right order. The puzzle teaches number sequence without a single prompt. They learn by doing, not by listening.

✓ Self-correcting puzzle
✓ Tactile learning
✓ Builds independence

Counting Caterpillar in branded gift packaging

In the box

Gift-wrapped in Jaques ribbon

Arrives in our signature packaging. No second wrapping needed. Hand it over and watch their face. This is the toy that says you put thought in, not panic.

✓ Jaques branded box
✓ Ribbon-wrapped
✓ Ready to gift

Order by 2pm, in your hands Tuesday. Gift-wrapped, ready to play.

Was £16.99

Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle: £10.67

While they play

What Colin quietly teaches

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🔢

Number order

Segments snap together only in the right sequence. They spot the pattern. Count to 10 becomes muscle memory.

🧩

Problem-solving

A segment doesn't fit. They try again. Persistence, trial, success. No adult stepping in.

👆

Fine motor control

Snapping segments builds pinch strength and hand coordination. Play becomes therapy.

🎨

Colour recognition

Each segment is a different bright shade. Colours stick in memory through repetition and play.

What families say about Jaques of London

Parents have already said it

★★★★★

"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.

23,000+

Orders placed in the last year

It's not the only counting toy. Parents keep choosing this one. The repeat-buy rate tells the story.

→

40+

Minutes of uninterrupted play

Enough time to take the call. Enough time to breathe. Real numbers from real parents who timed it.

→

1,10

Numbers learned without prompting

The puzzle teaches by design. They build Colin. Number sequence sticks. No flashcards, no nagging.

Why this matters right now

Est. 1795 Britain's oldest games company We've been making toys that last since before the Industrial Revolution. Over 100 million toys sold. Colin isn't our first good idea, and he won't be our last.

Solid wood Not plastic, not composite Hand-finished, non-toxic paint, weight you can feel. The toy that doesn't snap after three days of play. Grandparents can hand it down. That's the Jaques difference.

60-day Satisfaction guarantee If Colin doesn't hold their attention, returns are simple. We've made enough toys to know this one works. We're betting on it.

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 alternatives

	Jaques Counting Caterpillar - Number Puzzle	Cheap Alternatives
Play time before boredom	✅	❌ Plastic puzzles: 8,12 minutes
Teaches without your voice	✅	❌ Educational apps: need your approval, your voice, your time
Still whole after 2 years	✅	⚠️ Budget toys: pieces lost, paint chipped, snaps broken
Hands-on, not screens	✅	❌ Tablets: screen guilt, battery drain, no off switch
Satisfying to touch	✅	❌ Plastic competitors: hollow, light, no tactile reward
Gift-ready, no wrapping needed	✅	❌ Loose boxes: you package it, you carry the blame
Passed down or resold	✅	❌ Trend toys: dated in 18 months, landfill in 3 years

Jaques

✅ 40+ min hold
✅ No parenting needed
✅ Still intact at year 2
✅ Zero screen time
✅ Weighty, real feel
✅ Gift-wrapped ready
✅ Heirloom toy

Cheap alternatives

❌ 8,12 min boredom
❌ You do the teaching
❌ Breaks fast
❌ Screen guilt every time
❌ Hollow, cheap feel
❌ Bare cardboard
❌ Bin in 3 years

Order by 2pm, in your hands Tuesday. Gift-wrapped, ready to play.

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

Your questions, answered

Is this suitable for my child's age?

Colin works from 12 months (exploration and tapping) through age 3 and beyond (ordering and counting games). The first year, they taste and tap. By 18 months, they're snapping segments. At 2,3, they're building Colin in the right order without prompting. One parent told us: 'perfect gift for any babies' 1st birthday' (Catherine McCulloch). If they're between 12 months and 3 years, this is the one.

How long will it hold their attention?

Real parents report 40,60 minutes of independent play, depending on age and mood. That's your call window. Younger children (12,18m) engage with snapping and colour; older toddlers (2,3y) add ordering and counting. It doesn't wear out the novelty because every session feels like a small puzzle to solve, not a toy to abandon.

Will it actually survive hard play?

Yes. Solid wood, hand-finished, non-toxic paint. The segments snap together and apart hundreds of times without cracking or chipping. One customer said: 'Toys that don't break after five minutes of play' (Karen Pepper). Another: 'Not the usual tat from China' (John A). The 60-day returns guarantee backs that up. If it doesn't hold, it's on us.

When will it arrive?

Order by 2pm and Colin arrives Tuesday. Gift-wrapped, ready to give. If it's for a birthday and you're panicking, this is your move. If it's for pleasure, the same speed means you're not waiting long to see it land on the playmat and hold their attention for the first time all week.

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.

Order by 2pm, in your hands Tuesday. Gift-wrapped, ready to play.

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.

Jaques has made games since 1795. When we started, toys had to teach without batteries, screens, or plastic. They had to earn their place on the shelf through real play. Colin the Clever Caterpillar carries that same philosophy: solid materials, clear design, one thing to do brilliantly well. Number-learning toys are everywhere. But toys that teach AND hold attention AND survive childhood AND make parents feel like heroes, those are rare. That's why we made Colin. That's why parents keep buying him for their own children, then for grandchildren, then for friends' babies. Some toys are made to sell once. Colin is made to last.

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