Melissa & Doug Beginners Pattern Blocks

Beginners Pattern Blocks set

In the box: 5 pattern boards (10 scenes), 30 shape pieces

This activity is simpler than many other pattern block activity kits and may be a good place to introduce pattern piece activities. This is why I say that:

• The bigger pieces may be easier to handle than the smaller pieces in many sets. 
• Each piece is placed directly onto a picture without having to follow a pattern card. As you can see in the image below, the places where the shapes go are not colored in with the picture, they are blank. The colored pieces don't generally match the background anyway (see image above).
  
• Each piece is placed into a slightly hollowed out hole the same shape as the piece, less chance of it moving around.
• There are very few pieces per picture.

Holes where pieces go.

Like most Melissa & Doug toys, the wooden pieces are well constructed, smooth, and brightly colored. There is one picture on each side of each board. The pictures are kid-oriented and include a ship, dog, bird, train, house, butterfly, kite, flowers, fire engine, fish. Pictures take from 3 to 6 pieces each. The piece shapes are circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, and square. Several pictures can be made at once because there are so many pieces. Boards are 9 1/2" x 7". Yippee, this box has a lid.

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

Try this:

• Play with the different pieces before making the pictures and point out the similarities and differences. Call pieces by their geometric shape name.
• Give the individual one piece at a time and name the parts of the picture, such as this is the tail, this is the wing, this is the window etc.
• Use consistent directional language as you work, such as this fin is on top of the fish.
• Hand the individual a piece that is not in the correct orientation so that he will have to manipulate it.
• Place only the pieces for the picture in front of the beginner. As skills improve, ask the individual to find all the needed pieces from a group of pieces.
• Work on manual dexterity, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, spatial relations, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, executive functioning skills, process skills, recognition of shapes and shape names, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

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