Mental Blox

Mental Blox - 20 blocks, 40 patterns

I love almost anything with pattern cards that requires building 3D models from 2D models, especially when they advance in difficulty. Mental Blox includes 40 puzzles that do just that.

The first puzzle and the last puzzle

The cards are printed on both sides, the pieces are hollow and made of hard, smooth plastic. Some blocks have stripes that can turn either vertical or horizontal, and the X can be placed in a variety of positions. The ball shape has a small flat spot on opposite ends so that it will sit flat and you can stack on it. I have used this game a lot over the years and kids have liked it. 



  

Want an easier version? Check out my post on Mental Blox Jr.

For more activities of this type, check out my post on What's in Your Therapy Box? Pattern Blocks Edition. 

Try this:

• Start by just playing with the pieces. Let the individual get familiar with the shapes and feel of the pieces and how they stack.
• Place all the pieces needed for a puzzle and the puzzle card in front of the individual and remove the rest if you think he will be overwhelmed with too many pieces to look over or if you want to concentrate on one thing, like spatial orientation, and think he will be frustrated by working on too many things at once.
• Use a piece of white paper and cover everything above the row you are working on if the individual cannot figure out how to start or how to proceed, or has trouble keeping track of where he is working.
• Give the beginner one piece at a time to teach him how to proceed through a puzzle. Then place two pieces by him and let him choose the correct one for the next step. Then three pieces, then four, until he is doing it alone.
• Use a piece of white paper and cover everything but one column at a time to eliminate distractions and help keep the individual on target.
• Build the puzzles horizontally (one row at a time) and then go back through and build them vertically (one column at a time).
• Use the word "stack" if the individual tries to build from the top down. This has helped for me.
• Place all the pieces in a pile and require the individual to find the pieces he needs. Look ahead and make sure that some of the pieces he will need are in different orientations that what he is looking for.
• Use consistent positional language such as on top of, next to, under, etc. It can be easy to use a variety of words if you are not careful (next to/by, on top of/above), which may confuse beginners. Bring in more variety as the individual advances.
• Ask the individual "Is that correct?" after he finishes a puzzle. Get him used to checking his work for errors. If there is an error, let him have a chance to find and correct it before jumping in to help.
• Work on manual dexterity, coordinated use of two hands, visual discrimination, visual closure, figure ground, spatial relations, visual form constancy, hand-eye coordination, visual memory, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 20 blocks, 20 double-sided patterns

For more information, click on the image below.