Gravity Maze

Gravity Maze - Spatial logic game with 60 challenges.

Gravity Maze is a falling marble logic game. Build gravity powered mazes that will carry a marble on a path through the towers. This game will require applying visual perceptual skills, logic, and problem solving skills to be successful. Gravity Maze has won several prestigious awards.

The goal is to build a maze for each challenge so that when a marble is dropped into the top of the first tower, it will flow through the maze uninterrupted until it finally lands in the red target tower. The marbles are metal and smaller than your typical glass marble.

The pieces (towers) are either one, two, three or four cubes tall. The cubes are molded together and do not separate (see the image above). The cubes that look like they are full of color are the cubes with the built in slopes. These slopes will allow the marble to exit out one side only. Place a slope next to the opening of another tower to allow the marble to travel from one tower to the next. Some of the cubes have a smaller amount of colored plastic that is blocking one end and that will stop the marble from passing through. Other cubes are empty and the marble will drop right through them.

There are 60 challenges that increase in difficulty as you go (beginner to expert). The front of each card will show a bird's-eye view of the game grid and a part of the maze with the location and specific orientation for 2-4 towers. It also shows the number of additional towers you will need to add to complete the maze. These additional towers are shown by color and vertical/horizontal orientation only. The solution is pictured on the back of each card.

One challenge card from each level, fronts.

Solutions for the four challenge cards above, backs.

If you would like to read more about one-person logic puzzles, check out my post What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition. 

Try this:

• Build the towers from the solutions on the backs if the puzzles are too challenging from the front.
• Start by building a puzzle from the back, then disassemble and turn the card over. Now build it from the front.
• Build a maze, all but the last piece. Allow the individual to place the last piece. Then build a maze all but the last two pieces. Allow the individual to finish the puzzle. Proceed in this manner until the individual is doing the puzzles alone.
• Build the maze first as the individual watches. Do your reasoning verbally as you work to teach the individual how to think through the process. When the maze is complete, disassemble it and let the individual build it. 
•  Know when to stop. Some individuals will be able to complete mazes for awhile, but the cognitive demands will become too great to go all the way to the last puzzle.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visualization, visual closure, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Game grid, 9 building towers, red target tower, 3 metal marbles, 60 challenge cards with solutions

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

Felt Food Sandwich Play Set

Felt Food Sandwich Play Set - Practice sequencing while making sandwiches

Make open-faced, triple-decker, pita and hoagie sandwiches with this versatile Felt Food Sandwich Play set. The 33 pieces are all made from felt and include bread products as well as a selection of stack-able inside pieces.

 

The bread includes two slices of wheat bread, two slices of white bread, two hoagie bun halves and a pita pocket.  All bread pieces, except the pita pocket, have some type of stuffing that makes them thicker. The pita pocket opens like a real pita pocket so you can put ingredients in it. The other pieces are cut from a single piece of felt. The pieces include lunch meats, cheeses, lettuce, jelly splotch, peanut butter splotch, bacon, fried egg, pickles, tomatoes, onions, ketchup splotch, mustard splotch, mayo and a cookie. There are either one or two pieces of each. The pieces that are printed are printed on both sides. 

This is a play set that includes sandwich ingredients only, there are no pattern cards like in Sandwich Stacking. I've found that some kids don't like the feeling of felt.

Try this:

• Use as a precursor when you are teaching someone to make a real sandwich.
• Make a visual guide and ask the individual to follow the pattern to make their sandwich. You could either make sandwiches and take pictures with your camera (making sure that each ingredient shows clearly), or you could use the generic pictures that are used for visual schedules and line up the ingredients.
• Lay the pieces on the table in a random order. Overlap some of the pieces so that only parts of them show. Have the individual build a sandwich, looking for one piece at a time as you call out the name.
• Build a sandwich by stacking the pieces by color. Call out a color, such as green, and let the individual decide if they want pickles or lettuce.
• Pretend to be a sandwich shop. Place your order verbally and ask the individual to remember the items in order and then make the sandwich. Repeat your order two or three times, listing each ingredient, so that the verbal repeating may help the individual remember the order. Start with only a few ingredients and increase the number as the individual can remember more.
• Pretend play different roles (work on motor planning) by being the customer, the server and the sandwich maker.
• Work on visual discrimination, eye-hand coordination, figure ground, visual form constancy, spatial relations, manual dexterity, sequencing, executive functioning skills, life skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  
  
   In the box: 33 pieces for making sandwiches

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