Think outside the blocks

As a homeschooling mom, I am always looking for something that will bring a learning concept "home" to my children's brains. Some of my kids are just way ahead of me in some areas, like math, but some struggle with concepts and I just don't know how to get it to click for them. Often a product will provide that "click" for their learning style.


Playing is often the best way to make the concept stick. When you learn through play, you often do better in school and are often more successful in adult life.


These are called ThinkBlocks. ThinkBlocks are dry-erasable, safe-magnetic, nesting, stacking, towering, hanging, spinning, clumping, & reflecting blocks that are fun to play with & educational.

Let's say you wanted to get multiplication or division concepts down. You would write a number on a big block and try to figure out ways to break it down, or build to it. Say, the number 18. How many 6's are in 18? The child would build sets of 6 with the small blocks and put them in a medium block and write a 6 on the medium block. Now you have 3 sets of 6 and you set those inside the 18 block. That helps them see how sets of numbers make up a number, 3x6=18. The blocks are fun, too, as they magnet together.


You can use the blocks for other concepts, too. Grouping, for instance. What is alive and what isn't? Write objects on the blocks and have them sort them into the big blocks that say "alive" "not alive." Or group animals by mammals, reptiles, etc.

I really think these blocks would be great for a special ed teacher and even counsellors. A counsellor would be able to use them to help work through situations that are confusing, or to clarify what is OK and what is not.

Here is a video of how they can be used.

You can also find videos of the other uses for ThinkBlocks on their website.