Creative Animal Geo Blocks

Creative Animal Geo Blocks - Animal patterns offer the chance to layer

Have you ever used those foam type craft kits, where you end up layering pieces on top of each other as you build the craft? Creative Animal Geo Blocks reminds me of those because the animals are built flat on the table, the pieces are thin and for many of the animals you will end up layering pieces on top of each other.

The 29 pieces are brightly painted, all the same thickness, 1/8" and all made of wood. Many of the pieces are half circles, the only whole circles are the white and black you see on the eyes of the image above.

The 20 design cards measure 3 15/16" square and are printed on one side only, the back is white. Some of the images will have no layering, like the crab in the image above. Others will have multiple layered pieces and the individual will have to be able to determine what the lower pieces are without being able to see parts of them. They have used heavy drop shadows on the pictures, so that helps show that a new piece has been added.

The cards have three different border colors that correspond to a star rating that is at the bottom of each card (1,2 or 3 stars for easy, moderate, or most difficult). As I flipped through the cards I had to wonder why they rated some of them like they did, but no biggie, just make them in the order you want. Here is an example from each level:

The blue and green colors on the pattern cards are not really true to the colors on the real pieces. As you can see on the cards above, the half circle is a gold color. In reality, it is a yellow. The dark forest green color on the pattern cards is really a light blue (see pic below). I have not had any kids that have been thrown by it though. The storage bag has a draw string but nothing to hold it securely shut once you tighten it, so you will have to knot it each time.

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

Try this:

• Start the individual off with the first piece. It can be hard to tell where to start on a completed model or when faced with an empty space.
• Give the individual each piece as he goes, for beginners.
• Cue the individual how to build by calling out a body part or color, such as "Add the beak now" or "Add the blue part next".
• Build the animal first while the individual watches, then take it apart and ask him to build it.
• Cue the individual to look at the color under a piece to help determine what it is, since there are only so many pieces of each color.
• Separate out the pieces needed for the pattern card if digging through a pile of unnecessary pieces is distracting, or too difficult, or if you're concentrating on a different skill. Introduce unnecessary pieces back in one or two at a time to increase the skill of finding something in a busy background.
• Pick up the pieces where they are. They are rather flat and some may need to pull them to the side of the table to get a hold of them.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, spatial relations, visual form constancy, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 29 wooden pieces, 20 design cards, storage bag
 
If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.

 

Community JINGO

Community JINGO - Learn about 50 different places in your community.

Community JINGO is basically a bingo game, but instead of just calling out numbers or matching pictures, JINGO give clues that can help increase or check knowledge. JINGO comes in many different themes and this one focuses on places in the community. Players will have the opportunity to learn about 50 different places in the community and what goes on there.  

The playing cards measure 8 1/2" x 11", are a 5 x 5 grid, and have a FREE space in the middle. Each of the 50 clue cards will feature one place and will include a picture, a clue and a Did You Know? hint with the answer embedded. Some of those places are airport, auto repair shop, animal shelter, bank, power station, resale shop, dentist's office, doctor's office, landfill, house of worship, laundromat, newspaper office, daycare center and library.

Although I like the opportunity to teach while playing a bingo-type game, there are two things which I consider drawbacks to all JINGO games I have seen thus far: All cards are paper, not card stock, and there are no markers or bingo chips included. In my opinion, the games are a little pricey because of these. My solutions are to laminate the cards before use (but they will then be too thick to fit into the thin box) and use either bingo chips from other games or something else for markers, like pennies or dry beans etc. The clue cards are printed 10 to a page, are perforated and you will need to tear or cut them apart before use. 

Samples of clues in Community JINGO:

• Recreation Center - In a community, this is where people go to exercise, swim, and play games like racquetball and basketball. HINT: The YMCA is one of the most popular recreation centers in many communities.
• Nursing Home - Elderly people who need a little help and care live at one of these facilities in a community. HINT: Nursing homes provide meals, entertainment, activities, and 24-hour-a-day care to those who can no longer take complete care of themselves.
• Fire Station - In your community, this is the place where the fire fighting equipment is stored and where firefighters train and work. HINT: Some communities have a volunteer fire department. Firefighters live at home and rush to the fire when needed. Other communities have firefighters who live at the fire station when on duty.
• City Hall - In the community, the business of local government takes place here.  HINT: The mayor of a community works at city hall.

To check out other JINGO games I have blogged about (Money, Thanksgiving, Back to School) click here. 


Object:
Be the first to cover 5 in a row diagonally, vertically or horizontally. Or cover another pattern decided on before the game starts, such as the border or making a letter T.

Set up:
Give each player a card and a handful of markers. Choose one person to be the caller. Mix the clue calling cards and give them to the caller.

Play:
The caller picks one card and reads the clue. The players figure out the answer and look over their card for a matching picture. If they find one, they cover it with a marker. If they cannot figure out the answer, the caller can read the hint that contains the answer. If they still cannot find a picture, the caller can show the picture on the calling card. Not all items will be found on each card.

Try this:

• Hold several tokens in the hand, bringing them to the fingertips one at a time to cover the squares.
• When cleaning up, pick up the tokens one at a time and squirrel them in the palm without dropping. How many can you hold?
• Make a copy of the black and white card (comes with the game) which shows the different bingo patterns (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, four corners). Cut them out and display the one you are using during a game as a pattern for all to see.
• Let anyone in the group answer the questions aloud as you read the cards. Once all answers have been given, let players play independently and see if they can remember the answers.
• For non-readers, turn the question over and let them see the picture. They can match the picture.
• Use letters as your patterns. You can play for O (border), X, N, L, P, C, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U, Y and Z.
• Visualize the letter you are going for as a bingo and do not mark pictures that aren't part of the letter.
• Pick the pieces off the card after each game, squirreling them in the palm. How many can you hold without dropping any? 
• 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.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, spatial relations, figure ground, visual scanning, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, fine motor control, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 30 playing cards, 50 clue calling cards

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