Build-A-House Blocks

Create six different buildings with nine colorful blocks.

I like block puzzles and use them to work on in-hand manipulation and/or two-handed activities. These Build-A-House Blocks are probably too big for in-hand for most kids, but for two handed they work fine. 

There are two different Build-A-House sets available and this one includes six different buildings - barn, fire station, train depot, castle, typical house and robot factory. There are nine blocks total and they measure about 2 3/8" square. They are covered with paper but seem to be glued very well. 

The six different buildings are pictured on the back of the box and the images are quite small, 1 3/8" square. Depending on how good your eyes are, you may be able to use these as a guide. It would have been nice if these had been printed larger, on paper inside the box, but that is the OT in me talking. In fact, the game manufacturers encourage you to design your own structures by mixing features from the different buildings. The front of the box says that you can create 10,077,696 unique buildings from these nine blocks. I have to figure that was a mathematical equation, not someone's personal experience ;)

Hint: All of the homes have grass on the bottom three blocks, sky up the left side of the three blocks that will go on the left, sky on the right of the three blocks that will go on the right, and sky on all the top three blocks. The middle picture will have no grass or sky. This could help you narrow it down real fast. 

Here are a couple of other block puzzles I have blogged about:

Animal Friends Cube Puzzle - Includes 3D animals to guide you as you build.

Ravensburger Block Puzzle - Smaller pieces with pictures to guide.

Try this:

• Place the nine blocks mixed, but with the correct side up, on the table. Allow the individual to assemble the puzzle to see what is expected before turning pieces to incorrect sides.
• Encourage the individual to hold the block in two hands while turning and looking for what they want instead of just flipping it on the table top.
• Keep the finished picture of the image nearby for beginners to consult as they build.
• Make up your own buildings and stories to go with them. Why is there hay in the middle of the train depot or a dragon at the robot factory, etc.
• Build a house as the individual watches, talking through the process as you go. Say things like I can see this piece goes on the bottom because there is grass, or this piece must go on the top because there is sky above it.
• Put the puzzle together one row or column at a time.
• Flip all the pieces so that you have a complete building showing. Then give the individual one piece at a time, not in any particular order, and ask them to guess in which of the nine positions it will go. Adjust as necessary as other pieces are added.You will have to be careful of the order if you are stacking, obviously you can't hand them a top piece with nothing below it to stack on. Or assemble the puzzle flat against the table instead of vertical.
• Cue the person what to look for if they are confused while they look over the six sides of the cube. Putting the fire station together you can say look for pictures that have to do with a fire. Or the typical house with blue with animals on every block but one, that has s sun. So cue them to look for an animal with a blue background, etc.
• Turn all the blocks to the correct side for the puzzle you are assembling and then assemble the puzzle, instead of going back and forth between the two tasks, which might get confusing.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, manual dexterity, coordinated use of two hands, in-hand manipulation, creative play, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 9 blocks

 

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