Last week, I received a
wooden tangram set
from
Monkey Pod Games. The tangram set and a set of puzzle cards come in a hinged, wooden box, approx. 8.5"x5"x1". My husband happened to be there when I opened the package. He took the game from me, ran his hand over the wooden box, opened and closed the lid, and exclaimed, "That's a NICE box." While this may mean nothing to you, I'm here to say that my husband is
picky discerning. He likes good quality stuff. (Picked me, didn't he? :) For him to take the time to comment on the BOX means a lot.
This is a really nice set!
The box contains a set of wooden tangrams, cut 1/2" thick so as to make them easy to manipulate. The 50 puzzle cards feel really durable (perhaps they have a light plastic coating?) A silhouette of each shape--animal, people, or abstract--is shown on the front, with the puzzle answer revealed on the back.
While it makes a durable set for homeschool (my 4yo and 8yo have been playing with it!), I wouldn't hesitate to leave it available on the coffee table for guests to play. Such a high quality set would also make a great gift for a wide variety of ages.
Later today I'll be back to post a Giveaway for one of these beautiful sets!
Disclaimer: I received a review set. I tend to avoid reviewing items that I don't like. I really like this one. I get no monetary compensation from the company. If you order from Amazon, all commissions go toward foster care through Grace and Hope at no additional cost to you. THANK YOU!
for Christmas. Looking around on Christmas morning, however, you would have had a hard time figuring out who actually owned the blocks. My 20 and 16 yo daughters were the first to take the plunge. Here are some of the many creations from the past couple days...
for his birthday. It's a 3-D puzzle with small groups of cubes stuck together in a variety of shapes. You receive a deck of cards with puzzles to make using the cube formations. It's a challenging activity to work on spatial relationships. My 8yo found it too difficult. We've set it aside for the time being, but I am looking forward to using it in a couple years when it will be a good next step up from geoblocks and some of the other geometric puzzles we own. With it's own little carrying bag for the pieces and the deck of card puzzles, it would make an excellent math workbox for older kids...say 10- or 12- and up...or younger kids who are spatially gifted. One Amazon reviewer noted that it's also a good activity to try to solve as a group.
is really cheap today. We play that game with my 8yo a lot...good for simple addition/subtraction practice.
. You can also find nice felt boards
if you don't choose to make your own.
by Justin Holzmann of Sonlight (I've not seen but has great reviews.)
(I've not seen but has great reviews.) 
(quite a few tessellations!)
(great geometric/spatial game!) 
(with a "smidgen of math and a pinch of probability," our kids are getting this for Christmas!)
(we bought for Christmas)
(on my wish list)
(magnetic w/ movable numbers)
(magnetic w/ movable tokens)
(granddaddy of marble rolls-wooden to construct)
book 
