Magnetic Drawing Board

This unique magnetic bead board comes with pattern cards.

Work on spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, finger isolation, holding/using a writing-type tool, efficient grasp, fine motor control, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Plastic drawing board, stylus, 20 pattern cards

The magnetic stylus is your pen, the bead board is your paper, and your finger is the eraser as you use your imagination to draw and design.

I have one of these featuring the alphabet, but this picture-themed board was new to me. The black plastic board has 713 holes in a square grid pattern and inside are 713 small, metal balls (too small to fall out of the holes). The stylus is plastic, has a magnet on the tip, is tethered to the board by a plastic coiled line, and snaps into a groove on the board when you aren't using it. 

Hover the stylus tip over a hole and the metal ball inside the board (under the hole) will jump up to meet the magnet. Move the stylus away and the magnet stays in place, usually. I say they usually stay in place because balls may fall randomly here or there as you are working, or if you bump the board a ball or two might fall, but nothing that has discouraged the kids that have played with it. Just hover over the holes again to bring the balls back up. If you are drawing a circle or rounded edges, the bigger you draw the object the better, since the grid is based on squares. In the picture you see above, what looks like white dots on the board are the metal balls showing. 

The board measures about 12 1/8" x 10" and cannot be opened unless you take the screws off the back or break it open. The magnetic tool is about 4 3/4" long. You can either pull the balls up one at a time by hovering over a hole, or you can drag the tool across a line of holes and work faster.  

A positive for this particular board is that it comes with pattern cards. A negative is that they are very small, measuring only 3" x 1 7/8". In the image above, the small red picture at the top of the board is the pattern card. Yes, it really is that small in relation to the board. Each card is printed with the 713 holes so you can count it out for precision if you want. There are two slots on the top of the board that you cannot see in this image where you store the cards when they are not being used. They fit snug, but other than that there is nothing to keep them from falling out. The red card that you can see has been slid between a couple of grooves and it will stay there while you are working. Slip it out and replace it with another card when you are ready to make another picture. Patterns include a crab, umbrella, whale, cat head, apple, fish, jacket, truck, trumpet, sailboat, heart, elephant, dump truck, pine tree and butterfly.

If you would like to read more about games that require writing or drawing in some form, check out my post Games That Require a Writing Tool.

Try this:

• Use it as a tool to practice writing letters or numbers or drawing basic shapes. Draw/write, then use your finger to trace it as you erase it. I usually have the kids say the number or letter verbally too, as they do each step.
• Be relaxed about counting the dots and making the patterns EXACTLY like the pattern cards because, even though each card shows all 713 dots, they are very small dots. Having to count them out could be tedious work for some.
• Start a pattern by drawing an image so the player can see the proportion and get an idea how to proceed. 
• Take turns drawing on one pattern. You draw one feature, then let them draw a feature, to keep things on track and in perspective.
• Let them add their own features to a pattern they have copied. Add a doorknob, a mailbox, a sun, bigger windows, smoke from the chimney, etc. to the house picture.
• Draw a pre-writing shape or symbol. Then ask the individual to run their finger over the balls to get the feel of drawing the shape.
• Bring all the metal balls to the surface with the tool and then let the individual use his whole hand to push them back down for neat sensory input.
• Pull up a dozen balls randomly around the board, then ask the individual to spot them and push them back in.
• Isolate different fingers to push down the metal balls.
• Skip the pattern cards and draw whatever object or picture that you want, maybe drawing something about a story you are reading.

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