My First Activity Wood Block Set

My First Activity Wood Block Set

My First Activity Wood Block Set is a quality wooden block set from Fisher Price.  There are 27 blocks total: eight large squares, eight large rectangles, and 11 small squares. Each block has a nature picture (animal(s) or flower(s)) on one side, and the same picture on the opposite side. A block might show one, two, or three of the same objects. The other four sides are colored but have no pictures.

 

Since I am all about the pattern cards, my first thought is that it is a shame that there are so many blocks and only nine cards. The nine pattern cards are thick cardboard and have one pattern each. There are three 2-block patterns, three 3-block patterns, and three 4-bock patterns.You can always stack the blocks yourself, take pictures, and print them out to make your own cards. They look durable and should last a good long time.

For more of this type of activity, see my post on What's in Your Therapy Box: Pattern Block Edition.

Try this:

• Start slow by giving the child each piece in order and letting him arrange/stack it to build per a puzzle card.
• Place only the pieces needed for a puzzle and the puzzle card in front of the child to avoid confusion from too many pieces.  
• Put all the pieces on the table and ask the child to find each piece in the group as he needs it.
• Use positional language consistently, such as on top of, next to, under.
• Find all the pieces for the card ahead of time. Place only those pieces and the card in front of the child if you want to focus on a single goal, such as spatial orientation. This may decrease frustration that might be added by working on too many things at once.
• Stand the card upright so that the child understands that the model will be built up.
• Cover all pieces on the card except for the row or column you are working on if the child does not know where to start, how to proceed, or the need to start from the bottom. 
• Place the blocks in different orientations, such as upside down and on their sides. Ask the individual to find them and orient them correctly before stacking.
• Build a tower. How many of the blocks can you use? Build again and try to add one more.
• Stack a tower with only animals. Stack a tower with only flowers. Stack a tower with only solid colors showing forward.
• Stack only blocks with two items and count as you go. Stack a tower with only blocks with three items and count as you go.
  
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, visual closure, visual form constancy, creating a 3D model from a 2D model, in-hand manipulation, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

• 
  
  In the box: 27 solid wooden blocks, 9 pattern cards.
  Ages 2+

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

Pentago

Pentago - You better bring your A game.

Winner of multiple awards internationally, Pentago is a two-player strategy game that will keep you on your toes. I hate to admit it, but I have kids on my caseload that can routinely beat me at this. It has improved my game.

The plastic board is divided into quarters and each quarter is able to turn 360 degrees, one quarter turn at a time. After a player places a marble, they will turn one a quarter of a turn. Therefore, you must be able to visualize how the marbles will line up once a piece is turned. Any piece, in either direction. It's a lot to think about for me. :)

If you are really serious about this game, there is a book on how to win. I don't own it or plan to purchase it, but it is called How to win at Pentago: The Complete Visual Guide for Advancing from Beginner to Master in the Five-in-a-row Board Game That's Sweeping the World.

Object:

Get five marbles in a row to win.

Set up:

Choose either the black set or the white set of marbles.

Play:

Players take turns. Put one marble on the playing board and then turn one of the squares 1/4 of a turn. What looked like an unorganized group of marbles may now line up five marbles perfectly for the win. You must visualize what the board will look like after you turn a square as well as keep track of what your opponents will look like.

Try this:

• Work on strategy, spatial relations, manual dexterity, visualization, visual closure, figure ground, flexible thinking, process skills, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: One plastic playing board,  white marbles,  black marbles
Ages 6+, 2 players

 

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

Silhouettes

In the box: 27 two-piece jigsaw-type puzzle pieces

Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, figure ground, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, play exploration and participation

Each two-piece puzzle consists of one full color piece and one black silhouette piece. Pretty straightforward, match the colored piece to its silhouette.

Try this:

• Start slow by putting one full color piece in front of the individual and two silhouette pieces. Ask him to find the match.
• Put the color pieces in a stack and arrange the silhouette pieces all flat in front of the individual. One at a time take a color piece from the stack and ask him to find its silhouette.
• Arrange the silhouette pieces in different orientations from the color pieces and find the matches.
• Start with the silhouette piece and find the color match.
• Place the pieces in the wrong orientation on the table and ask the individual to turn each piece, in-hand, to right the orientation.

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

Dog Dice

Dog Dice comes with whimsical, custom dice.

A fun Bingo-dice game that features 4 mischievous dogs and their owner. Throw the dice to see if the dogs are behaving themselves, or if someone has just made off with a string of sausages. 

The bingo cards are a 4 x 4 grid with no free spot. The game features several different dogs, each a different type and color. There are two custom dice that picture the images on the bingo card. One die has a different dog on each side. The other die features an object on each side, such as a dog dish, a dog house or a dog bone. Throw the dice and look for that match on your Bingo card. Will it be the yellow dog by the food dish, or the grey dog in his dog house, or the brown dog making off with a string of sausages? If you have a match, lay a bone marker on that square. Once you have 4 bone markers in a row... BINGO!

Try this:

• Practice recognizing a winning pattern before playing. Cover a pattern with markers on a card so the individual can see what it will look like. Then set up several cards with multiple markers and a win embedded on each one and ask the player to find it. Work until he is proficient at spotting the winning pattern.
• Watch for only one BINGO direction at a time until they are used to watching for it (horizontal, diagonal, vertical). Then watch for two directions, then for three.
• Shape the palm before shaking the dice by putting a small ball or round object in the individual's hand and forming the hand around it. Then remove the ball and ask them to keep their hand in that position. 
• Model the cupping position and how to shake the dice before starting to play - fingers together, making a rounded cup in the palm. Often the child will just squeeze the dice tight in the hand and shake the hand, thinking the dice are moving around when they are not.
• Cup the hand, fingers together, and see how long the dice can be shaken before one falls out. Sing a round of How Much is That Doggie in the Window as the player shakes, or count to 10.
• Ask player's to hold several marker pieces in their dominant hand as they play. Ask them to bring the pieces to the fingertips, one at a time, and place on the card as they play. Can they shake the dice in their non-dominant hand as they go?
• Forget the dice and use the cards to identify categories. Find all the pictures with a yellow dog. Find all the pictures with a bone. How many pictures have a blue doghouse?
• Stop occasionally and check the player's card. Ask them to point out places where they only need one more to win a bingo. Or point out possible bingos and ask how many more will be needed to win or which squares will need markers to win in that direction etc.
• Use the card only and ask directional/positional questions. What picture is to the right of the yellow dog by his house? What picture is below the brown dog stealing sausages?
• Label the card with coordinates A-D and 1-4. Call out sets of coordinates on which to place the bone markers (A3, C4, etc.)
• Display a black and white card with the BINGO pattern for each game. You can just make them with a black marker on white paper or draw them on the board.
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, palmar arch development, manual dexterity, spatial relations, fine motor skills, executive function, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: 4 Bingo cards, 2 custom dice, 48 bone markers

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