LEGO 3-in-1 Classic Blue Creativity Box 10706

Lego 3-in-1 Classic Blue Creativity Box - A good value on a great therapy tool

I just love Lego's small 3 in 1 sets!  All the great advantages of working with Legos, in small sets that only cost about $5. Lego is one of my most often recommended toys because they help build so many different skills. If you haven't read my blog about Building Skills with Construction Toys you can find it here. Lego 3-in-1 Classic Blue Creativity Box is a great activity for making a 3D models by following directions from a 2D instruction guide. A natural activity for using 2 hands to place and pinch pieces. Small pieces are perfect for practicing in-hand manipulation skills and fine motor precision and a nice activity for a therapy session as they can be completed in a much shorter time than the larger LEGO models. The kids I work with can assemble one of these in 15-20 minutes. Of course that will depend on who you give it to.

Kids are typically very pleased with the finished product once they see it come together into a toy. All 3 models cannot be made at the same time as they use the same pieces. Legos 3-in-models come in different themes (trucks, cars, etc.) and colors like this blue set (red, orange, green, etc.).

UPDATE: Since this post I have found two Lego sets that each include 24 small models. Check them out. Lego Build Up 40222. Lego Build Up 40253.
 

Try this with any LEGO set:

• Give a few minutes to examine the pieces at the beginning so that the person can examine the different shapes and how they snap together.
• Set the piece(s) for each step in front of the beginner until he has gotten used to identifying pieces. 
• Turn pieces on the table so that they can't be picked up by the child in the correct orientation. Ask him to turn each piece in-hand after picking it up.
• Place a piece in the individual's palm, or at the base of the fingers, in the incorrect orientation and ask him to bring it to the fingertips and turn it in-hand for placement.
• Give the beginner one piece at a time while building and point to the piece on the guide to show where it should go.
• Ask the child to pick up the model and hold it in one hand while adding pieces with the other hand so that both hands works together while adding pieces (instead of adding pieces while the model is on the table).
• Show the child how to hold the model with the non-dominant hand while "pinching" the new part on with the dominant hand.
• Place the pieces for each step on the non-dominant side so that the individual will have to cross midline to pick them up. Instruct him not to lean to the side as he reaches across.
• Ask "what is different" at each new step in the instruction guide to focus on where the new parts will go.
• Keep the unused pieces in a pile so that the child will have to search for each needed piece. Turn some of the pieces upside down or half cover them so they will look different from the picture.
• Advise the child to hold the model in the same orientation as the one in the picture to aid in orienting pieces.
• Catch mistakes as they happen, as an incorrectly placed piece may throw off the rest of the project. Tell the individual that his model does not look exactly like the picture and see if he can identify the mistake and correct it on his own before jumping in to help.
• Work on executive functioning skills, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, spatial relations, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, in-hand manipulation, manual dexterity, precise fine motor control, using two hands together, finger strength, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 64 pieces. instruction guide.
 
If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below. 

 

Mighty Mind Aquarium Adventure

Underwater themed shape puzzles.

In the box: 32 plastic design tiles, 24 pattern cards, 1 solution card

Mighty Mind is a name that has been around for about 40 years. They have a whole line of products based on using geometric shapes (design tiles) to create patterns and pictures, with or without pattern cards. I have several of their products and the pieces are brightly colored, smooth plastic, and the pattern cards are stiff and have held up well. The claim they make on every product is "Makes Kids Smarter". You can be the judge of that. They have won many different awards and I regularly use this type of activity in many different forms.

The design tiles come in four bright colors (red, green, yellow, blue) and come in six geometric shapes (circle, half circle, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond). The pattern cards measure approximately 6 1/4" x 9 3/4". Each card has one puzzle to solve on each side, and puzzles are printed on whimsical backgrounds.

 

Two pattern cards.  Large and small circle design pieces.

 

Choose a puzzle you want to solve and lay the design pieces on top of the white portion, fitting them inside the outline exactly. Circles are often just placed on top of the finished puzzle, as in the portholes and eyes in the two patterns above.

 

Solution page.

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

Try this:

• Play with the pieces before you start a picture and talk about their shapes. Show how two half-circles make a whole circle, two rectangles makes a square, four small squares makes one big square, etc.
• Sort the pieces by shape, naming the shape of each.
• After learning the shapes, put them in a bag so you can't see the shape and ask the individual to put their hand in the bag, feel a piece, and tell what it is without looking. Then pull it out and check.
  
• Give the player one piece at a time to place as he learns. Next separate out and give the player only the pieces that are necessary for his picture. Then place all the pieces on the table with other unnecessary pieces and let the player find the pieces he needs as he works.
• Ask the individual to pick up each piece and then turn it in-hand, if needed, to the correct orientation for placement.
• Use the pieces and make your own picture.
• Make the first picture or two with the solution next to the puzzle page to give the individual an idea of what is expected.
• Make a picture as the individual watches, thinking out loud as you decide why certain shapes will go in certain places, such as this must be a triangle or diamond because the edge is sloped.
• Avoid frustration and keep the puzzle on track by gently nudging pieces back into place if the player is having trouble keeping them inside the outline.
• Correct errors as soon as they are made with beginners. Continuing to build on an incorrect piece will just throw off the rest of the puzzle.
• Teach the individual to recognize and correct errors on his own. If the individual places an incorrect piece, try asking "Are you sure?" or "Try something else" to prompt him to reconsider. If he cannot figure out the error, correct it while he is watching, then pick the piece up and hand it to him to place.
• Give fading prompts as the individual learns to identify and correct errors on his own.
• When placing the pieces on the table to start, pile them in ways so that parts of them are covered to work on visual closure. Can the individual still recognize and find the pieces they need?
• Work on manual dexterity, fine motor precision, in-hand manipulation, tactile discrimination, visual discrimination, visualization, visual closure, visual form constancy, spatial relations, figure ground, visual scanning, eye-hand coordination, problem solving, planning/organizing, logic, recognition of shapes and shape names, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
   
  

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