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.

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Pattern Block Kit

Work on manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, palmar arch strength/stability, coordinated use of both hands, motor planning, body awareness, tactile perception, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, spatial relations, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, attention, recognition of shapes and shape names, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the bag: Magnetic board, 120 magnetic geometric pieces, 6 cards (12 pictures)

A magnetic pattern board that I have used quite a bit. The frame of the board and all of the pieces are wood. The colors and the shapes match the general pattern pieces that you find in many of the geometric math activity sets. Place a card on top of the magnetic white board and build right on top of it, or place the card next to the board and build from the card on top of the board. The cards show the outline of each piece and have held up well. So has the carrying case. I often use the magnetic pattern sets with beginners or individuals who have slight hand tremors or other conditions that impact their fine motor precision because magnetic pieces, once laid, are harder to disturb if bumped than non-magnetic pieces. 

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

Try this:

• Play with the pieces before using the boards and point out the differences in size, shape, color, etc.
• Put the first piece in place in front of the individual if he cannot look at the picture and figure out where to start. Or say something like "let's start with the ears".
• Build on top of the card. Once this is mastered, build next to the card. Then prop the card up in front of the individual and build by looking up at it.
• Orient and place a piece if the individual is having trouble with orientation. Then pick it up, hand it to the individual, and invite him to place it.
• Hand the individual a piece he will need and ask him to turn it in-hand for the correct placement.
• Use consistent directional and positional language such as above, to the left of, under, flush, etc.
• Find all pieces for the picture ahead of time. Place only those pieces (or even fewer) next to the board if you want to focus on one specific skill at a time, such as spatial orientation. This may decrease frustration from working on too many things at once.
• Practice recognizing shapes from different orientations. Ask the individual to search through all the available pieces to find the ones he needs. Make sure that the pieces are in various positions so that some are facing the wrong direction, some are overlapping, some are upside-down, some are on their sides, etc.
• Correct errors as soon as they are made as continuing to build on incorrect placement may impact the rest of the model.
• Teach the individual to recognize and correct errors. After the individual places a piece incorrectly, ask "Are you sure?" or say "Try again". If he cannot figure out the error, make the correction while he watches. Then pick up the piece and hand it to him to place.
• Give fading prompts as the individual learns to identify errors and correct mistakes on his own.
• Ask the individual to cup his non-dominant hand to help strengthen palmar arches. If he has trouble doing this, place a small ball in his hand and ask him to curl and lightly squeeze his fingers around the ball. Then remove the ball and ask him to hold his hand in that position. Place several of the pieces he will need in the cupped hand and keep the hand cupped while he places the pieces on the card.

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

ZINGO! Number BINGO 1-2-3

Zingo! Number Bingo 1-2-3

The ZINGO line of games is a simple version of bingo. With only nine spaces on the card and kid friendly pictures and numbers, this is a game to learn on.

The ZINGO cards are coded with colored borders. The green border is the easier side, showing a number of objects in each square with the written number below. The red border indicates a more difficult game as each squares has objects to count, but also have addition sign.

The red zinger (see image above) is hard and sturdy plastic. It is two pieces - body and lid. The lid comes off so you can load the yellow number tiles. Take the lid off the plastic zinger and stack all the number tiles inside. When ready to play, push the tall part of the zinger forward, them pull it backward again. Two tiles will be dropped into the spaces in front. 

This game is similar to ZINGO Bingo, which I previously blogged about, so I am going to copy and paste a little of that information onto this post.

Object:

Be the first to get three in a row either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. 

Set up:

Give each person a ZINGO card. Load the red plastic zinger with the number tiles.

Play:

Push the Zinger forward, then pull it back to reveal two tiles. The first person to match one of those tiles to his card calls out the number, takes the tile, and places it on his card. If no one needs either of the numbers, take them off the Zinger and reveal two more numbers. Keep playing until someone gets three in a row and wins the game.
 

Try this:

• Play for only one orientation at a time. Give the individual an example of what you want by making a photocopy of a ZINGO card and then using a yellow marker to color in three across only. Then play for that particular orientation. Watching for three different orientations can be very difficult for some.
• Play alone. Lay out several cards, and load the ZINGO zinger. Let the individual push the zinger to release two cards. Scan the ZINGO cards on the table to find places to put them.
• Sort out only two tiles of each number and play a matching game. Turn all pieces face down and, taking turns, turn over two tiles to look for a match. If you match, take another turn, and keep going until you miss. If you miss and they don't match, turn the tiles face down again and the next person plays. Player with the most tiles at the end wins.
• Sort out two tiles of each number and lay one of each number on the table, face up. One at a time, present one of the matching tiles and ask the individual to find it in the group. Turn tiles in different orientations.
• Use a piece of clear plastic (transparency) and cut it to the size of the card. Lay the plastic piece over the card and yellow in the three in a row you will be looking for to provide a guide. Have the individual play on top of the transparency.
• Sort out one of each number tile. Lay them all in a row from one through twelve.
• Let the player reload the zinger after a game making sure all tiles are put into place in the correct orientation.
  Work on spatial relations, figure ground, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

In the box: 1 ZINGO zinger, 72 number tiles, 6 double sided ZINGO cards
Ages 4+, 2-6 players

 

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

Pathfinder

In the box: Wooden base with attached, but movable, wooden balls, 8 small pattern cards

Work on spatial relations, visual discrimination, visual closure, bilateral integration, manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, thinking skills, play exploration and participation

The goal is to look at a pattern card and move the wooden balls to match the pattern. It can be used flat on the table or standing up because of the wider base. The pieces are movable, but not removable, so you have to think ahead so that you can maneuver balls out of your way but still not block them.  It is a little hard to move pieces around the square corners, although there is sufficient space to maneuver. I suppose if you used it a lot the corners would become a little rounder and smoother to pass. The pattern cards that are included with the board are small and on the back of the box and you have to cut them out. You can buy the large pictured cards (above) as a separate purchase. The same design is printed on the back of the large cards in black and white, so you could color in the circles in different colors on the back and double the amount of challenges you have. Kids I work with haven't liked this much and I have not used it as much as I thought I would.

 

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the link below to go to Amazon.com.