Smart Car 5X5

Smart Car 5 X 5 - Version 2

In the box: Blue plastic car, 5 wood blocks, 2 challenge booklets

 

If you own the original Smart Car, this is similar to that game but it has five blocks instead of four and two puzzle books instead of one. Both versions are made by SmartGames. 

Four of the blocks in this set are in an "L" shape and the fifth block is an "l" shape. It seems too simple to be difficult, but as you'll see below it does get challenging.

This set has a plastic car and brightly colored wooden blocks. Because that car has movable wheels, you get the added benefit of needing to hold it with one hand while building so it doesn't roll away on you.

There are two challenge booklets and they each have 48 puzzles each (96 total!). In one book all the puzzles are made with the four L shaped pieces, and in the other book all the puzzles are made with all five pieces. The books are spiral bound, the pages turn easily, and they lie flat. Challenges get more difficult as you go.

The car itself will always end up being the same shape throughout the book, when solved correctly. All solutions, in the form of a picture of the finished car, are pictured on the back of each challenge page. The puzzles in each book increase in difficulty by obscuring some pieces in the picture, leaving white spaces so you have to figure out the colors, and/or showing multiple views of the car with white spaces (see images below).

This is a fun activity for working on executive functioning skills and visual perceptual skills and the kids have enjoyed it. I used the original version quite a bit and this version just came out and I'm sure I will get good use out of it too. I see that the original version of this game, that had only four pieces, is no longer available on Amazon, so this one has probably replaced it.  

Below is the first and last puzzle from each book so you can see the range in difficulty levels.

First and last puzzles from the 4-piece challenge book.

First and last puzzles from the 5-piece challenge book.

 

If you would like to read more about one-person logic puzzles, check out my post What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition. 


I also have a post on the many Smart Games that I own and love.

Try this:

• Turn to the answer page, which shows how to build one block at a time, if the puzzle is difficult (this view only for the first few puzzles of the 4-piece book). Then take the pieces out, turn back to the puzzle page, and have the individual try again.
• Model how to complete a puzzle by working a puzzle and talking through the problem solving process while you do so. Then take the pieces out and ask the individual to complete the puzzle.
• Turn a block to the correct orientation and place in the car if the individual gets stuck. Then take the piece out, turn it so it is not in the correct orientation, and give to the individual to place.
• Solve a puzzle, all but the last piece. Let the individual place it and complete the puzzle. Then solve all but the last two pieces and let the individual place them. Then all but the last three, until the individual is building the models without help.
• Talk through the reasoning process if the individual gets stuck. Such as "the yellow block is taking up two spaces horizontally, so it must be lying on its side".
• Turn the block in two hands instead of flipping it around on the tabletop.
• Put the first block in the puzzle if the player can't figure out where to start.
• Give the individual one piece at a time, in the correct orientation, if they are having difficulty learning. After they improve, push one piece at a time toward the individual but not in the correct orientation. Finally let them choose their own piece and orient it.
• When placing the pieces on the table, make sure that none of them are in the correct orientation for a challenge.
• Build models from looking at the pictures on the solution pages.
• Hold the puzzle book in an upright, vertical position if the player has trouble building up from a diagram that is lying flat on the table. 
• Work on spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, visualization, visual discrimination, visual closure, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.