About Blocks Universe Ltd

Who we are

Blocks Universe Ltd (formerly Alphablocks Ltd) is the multi-award-winning home of the global preschool hits: Alphablocks, Numberblocks, Colourblocks and Wonderblocks. 

What we do

We are on a mission to create exciting and transformational learning experiences across broadcast, streaming, apps, print, hands-on play, live performance - meeting children wherever they are. 

What is Blocks Universe all about?

Trusted by parents and educators worldwide, and beloved by children, our Blocks Universe brands spark curiosity, develop foundation skills and build confidence in reading, maths, art, coding, problem solving and more. We are building generations of little learners - one block at a time. 

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Our story

From a spark of an idea, to a global learning phenomenon! Read all about our evolution from a simple concept into a world-renowned educational brand...

2010: A new adventure begins…

Alphablocks Ltd was officially launched in the UK, teaming up with the creative minds at Blue Zoo Animation Studio to bring block-based learning to life.

2010: A totally terrific debut!

Alphablocks made its official broadcast debut on CBeebies, and within 10 months, received its first BAFTA Children’s Award nomination for Best Pre-school Animation. 

2011 - 2013: Fantastic phonics!

Phonics learning was in full swing with the launch of Series 2 (2011), series 3 (2012) and series 4 (2013) of Alphablocks.

In 2013, the show also received global acclaim at the prestigious Prix Jeunesse Awards, cementing its status as innovative and educational, with international appeal.

2017: Number magic begins!

Building on the continued success of Alphablocks, the creative team worked with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCTEM), and launched Numberblocks! Series 1 premiered in January, followed by series 2 in May. Just like its sister show, Numberblocks scored a BAFTA Children’s Award nomination in its very first year!

2018: Award-winning maths design!

Numberblocks series 3 launched! Recognised for excellence in visual learning design, Numberblocks earned special honours at The Japan Prize for pre-school educational media. 

2019: And the BAFTA goes to…

2019 was a landmark year as Numberblocks not only launched series 4, but the show also took home the prestigious BAFTA Children's Award for Best Preschool Animation.

2020: Hands-on learning fun!

In partnership with Learning Resources, the official, award-winning Numberblocks Mathlink® Cubes 1-10 Activity Set launched, bringing Number Magic off the screen and straight into hands-on play!

2021: High five!

Numberblocks returned for series 5, packed with even more songs, visual learning and bigger adventures! We introduced the first of our hugely popular times tables episodes.

2022: Add a splash of colour…

The learning universe expanded with the debut of Colourblocks! Designed to help children explore colour theory, creativity and hands-on art, the show launched alongside a popular interactive app - in partnership with newly formed Blue Zoo Digital.

2023: 10 million subscribers!

With Colourblocks series 2 hitting the screens, the Blocks’ combined YouTube network surpassed 10 million subscribers worldwide! We also initiated a brand new and exciting partnership with Blue Zoo Licensing, to help with our ever-growing portfolio of books, toys, games, stage shows, apparel and more.

2024: Double the maths fun!

Numberblocks returned for series 6 and 7, adding more times tables, measuring, positional language and more. Many are primary-level concepts, made accessible to younger children.

2025: A universe of learning!

It was a busy year with the return of Alphablocks for series 5 and 6 plus the launch of brand-new show, Wonderblocks - designed to teach curiosity, thinking skills, problem solving and early coding!

With four Blocks brands all focusing on different areas of learning, the natural next step was the launch of Blocks Universe as an umbrella brand, where all four shows could cross over for new and exciting learning adventures together.

2026: Welcome to Blocks Universe Ltd!

Alphablocks Ltd was officially renamed to Blocks Universe Ltd - a new name to reflect just how much we’ve grown. Available in over 100 countries and 34 languages, we are focused on developing new series and shows while expanding our multi-platform footprint. Building on the extraordinary success of our 33+ million YouTube subscribers and nearly 22 billion views, we also offer 14 Blocks learning apps to complement every child's learning journey! 

Our partners

Our team

Oli Hyatt MBE

Company Director & Head of Development
Oli is Managing Director of Blocks Universe, keeping the business moving, the brand growing and the Blocks in roughly the right order. He also spends a fair bit of time banging the drum for brilliant educational and public service content all around the world and fighting for the prominence and funding it deserves. As a proud dyslexic, he finds Alphablocks more useful than most of the team!

Ruth Cassidy

Editorial Director & Creative Lead
Ruth carries the flag for all things Blocks, leading the editorial team and setting editorial direction and strategy. She can often be found researching educational curricula, developing new series, working on live experiences, looking at all the new ideas that come in from our amazing partners and thinking deeply about the placement of commas and use of capital letters. Sometimes she does all of those at once.

Georgina Graves

Managing Editor & Operations Manager
George is known for her ability to get stuff done. She ensures every project runs as smoothly as possible by improving processes, managing relationships, and sustaining a culture in which her awesome team can thrive. She is passionate about the Guardianship of the Blocks Universe brands, and works alongside the talented team to ensure they consistently deliver to the highest standards.

Rosie Charman

Brand Lead
Rosie shapes our global brand strategy and oversees content across the Blocks Universe, working closely with our wider team and partners to keep our brand vibrant, protect our unique identity, and create exciting campaigns that spark a love of learning in little ones everywhere! 

Divya Sachdeva

Content Editorial Manager
Divya works closely with Blue Zoo Production, juggling multiple series and transforming them into wonderful and educational shows for our beloved fans. She is the conduit between Production and the wider teams and loves to align and nurture our growing business. 

Anna Burdal

Senior Brand Editor
Part editorial brand consultant, part trivia wizard. Anna works closely with Blue Zoo Digital and Blue Zoo Licensing to ensure every app, video, tune and product hits the right educational and creative notes. From guiding product development to scouring old Blocks episodes for hidden asset gems, Anna lives for the details that make our products stand out.

Emily Jones

Brand & Campaign Manager
Emily leads the end-to-end delivery of exciting brand campaigns across our beloved Blocks Universe. Emily is the ultimate bridge-builder, keeping the magic flowing between Blocks Universe, Blue Zoo Licensing, Blue Zoo Digital, and all of our wonderful external partners - making sure every campaign hits the mark and brings fun, impactful learning experiences to life!

Monica Labrosse

Brand Editorial Manager
Marvellous Monica is our wonderfully grounded approvals manager! Equipped with sharp eyes, stellar brand savvy and a flair for fine-tuned writing, she meticulously reviews every detail. With her playful alliterations and creative charm, Monica brings a touch of magic to every project she works on. 

Izzy Arnfeld

Editorial Coordinator
Izzy keeps the Blocks Universe spinning smoothly by bringing dynamic organisation and support to our busy Editorial and Brand teams with skill and flair! She is a bit of a spreadsheet connoisseur, and her impressive colour coordinated drop-down menu keeps all of our many projects running like clockwork.