K'Nex Elmo Building Sets

K'Nex Elmo Building Sets - Construction sets with picture cards.

In the box: Varies per set. Approximately 35-50 pieces.

K'Nex and Lego are two of my favorite construction sets. Each of these sets have a different theme and each set includes pictures of multiple things that you can construct, including animals, a sandcastle, and always an Elmo. They are fun sets and kids that I have worked with have liked them.

These K'Nex Elmo Building Sets are more comparable to the Lego brand Duplo sets, bigger pieces for younger kids. The pieces are well-made and brightly colored. Some of the bigger pieces are hard plastic, but many of the pieces are made of a sturdy, but flexible plastic. There are not enough pieces for all of the items pictured on the cards to be made at once. You will have to disassemble some to make others.  

There are pictures on the box and several picture cards inside each box to show items you can make. As with most K'Nex products, you will have to work from these pictures of the finished models as there are no step-by-step instructions like you get with Lego.

Two pattern cards from the Sunny Days Building Kit.

Try this:

• Give time for free play at the beginning so that the person can examine the different shaped pieces and how they snap together. Some pieces you will have to push down from the top, not in from the side, and go together nicely with a pinch.
• Ask the child to pick up the model when possible and hold it in one hand while adding pieces with the other hand so that both hands work together while adding pieces.
• Hold the model in the non-dominant hand and pick up the correct piece in the dominant hand, setting up a natural opportunity to manipulate the piece in-hand for placement. 
• Turn pieces on the table so they are not in the correct orientation. Ask the individual to pick up a piece and turn it in-hand to the correct orientation.
• Set a piece, or only a few pieces, at a time in front of the individual to cue him which piece(s) he will be placing next. It can be difficult to look at a completed model and determine where to start and/or how to proceed. 
• Give the beginner one piece at a time as he needs it and point to the piece on the picture to direct where he should place it.
• Cover the part of the model that you are not working on to reduce confusion or to direct the building sequence. 
• Keep the unused pieces in a pile so the child will have to search for each needed piece. Turn some of the pieces upside down or half bury them under other pieces so they will look different from the picture.
• Advise the child to hold or stand the model in the same orientation as the one in the picture to aid in orienting pieces.
• Point to each piece on a model and ask the child to find it in the pile of pieces. Assemble all the needed pieces before building.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, coordinated use of both hands, in-hand manipulation, finger/hand strength, executive functioning, sequencing, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

Tip the Cows

Tip the Cows - Miniature cows are this game's appeal

Similar to Pass the Pigs, Tip the Cows is a simple game played with 2 very small rubbery animals. The game is played in 10 rounds and the person with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

You will be throwing the cows and they will land randomly, so there is no strategy or skill that can help you gain a higher score. I like Tip the Cows! because it requires you to cup the hand and hold it in that position while shaking the cows, over and over and over again. It's a great way to work on palmar arch development and stability. Strengthening the palmar arches often leads to more fine motor control. It is also a fun alternative to dice games as the kids like the miniature animals. The box has an insert that you can see above, decorated like a farm. We usually throw on a table top but you can throw in the box instead.

Miniature cows.

After each player throws the pigs once it is called a round. Each time you throw the pigs you will note how they land and then consult the rule booklet for your score. Each possible position is worth a specific number of points. The less often a position is apt to come up, the more points it is worth. For example, most often cows just land on their sides and are called siders, worth 1 point per cow. Cows that land udder up are worth 5 points each and hoofers, those that land on their feet, are worth 10 points each. Throw a holy cow, a cow standing on his front two legs with nose resting on the table top, and gain 50 points. They come up so rarely that if you throw one you are almost guaranteed a win.

 

Write your score on the miniature score pad as you go. I like the pad because it is small and gives big writers practice writing within the confines of the small boxes. I usually assign that job to the other player. 

If you like the little rubbery animals, also check out Pig Pile. It includes 40 miniature pigs. 

Object:

Have the highest score after 10 rounds.

Set up:

Give everyone a score sheet and a pencil. Place the pigs and rule booklet between the players.

To Play:

Players take turns. Pick up the two cows, shake them and throw them on a flat surface. Look at the position of the cows and then check the rule booklet to determine how many points you get.Play 10 rounds and the person with the highest score is the winner.

 

Try this:

• Cup both hands and place them together on top of each other, then shake the cows.
• Keep the hand in a cupped shape longer by counting to 10 while shaking before the cows can be thrown or listening/watching a few seconds as the cows "dance".
• Cup the hand by placing a small ball into the palm, then remove the ball and add the cows.
• Ask the individual to position the two cows in each scenario on the score card. Put both cows into the palm of the dominant hand and ask the player to bring the cows, one at a time, to the fingertips and orient before placing on the table top.
• Use the opportunity to practice small writing and mental math. Use a large sheet of paper if the score sheet is just too small.
• Work on palmar arch development, precise fine motor control, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, spatial relations, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, play  and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 2 small cows, rules with pictures of cow positions and points, score pad and pencil