I love finding games that my kids enjoy playing but also are educational, don’t you? Mental Blox by Learning Resources is one of those – it doubles as a concentration/memory/strategy game and a set of colorful building blocks!
It can be used for younger children to familiarize them with their shapes and colors (and building/stacking skills). I used this set with Isaac (he just turned 2) by asking him to:
• Hand me a blue circle or purple square (color & shape differentiation)
• Stack certain shapes on top of others (learning to follow instructions)
• Hand me the shape identical to the one I am holding (there are two of each block)
Emma (4 1/2) is old enough to play the game in the two ways it is meant to be played:
1. Players are allowed to look at one of the challenge cards for 10 seconds, then they try to re-build the pattern from memory! They look at the card in 10-second increments.
(Click to enlarge)
2. Someone not on either team (a “caller”) describes verbally what is in the picture and the teams try to re-build the pattern by description and memory.
The cards come in varying levels of challenge from easy to hard, and there are optional bonus questions at the bottom of each card. (Enlarge the photo to see the bonus questions.)
As you can see, Emma was tickled to death after having put together her pattern from memory. She also really enjoys playing independently, pulling out random cards and copying the pattern exactly. It sounds easier than it is – I’ve challenged her to get everything just right and it has taught her to be more observant of small details like whether or not the lines on a block are vertically or horizontally oriented.
The blocks themselves are made of a light but tough plastic, are hollow, and feel well-made. They stack sturdily (obviously or I wouldn’t be able to stack the spheres so high!) and aren’t too easy to topple over.
As an added bonus, it is AWESOME for building castles! :)
I highly recommend Mental Blox by Learning Resources! I usually try to include something I don’t like in my reviews, but I can’t think of anything we don’t like about this set – isn’t that awesome? :) It’s recommended for kids age 5-13 but I would say younger children will enjoy it as well since there are ways to simplify the gameplay.
You can purchase Mental Blox at Learning Resources or Amazon.com. It retails for $29.99.
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Disclosure: My thanks to Learning Resources for providing the prizing for this giveaway and for sending me a Mental Blox game so that I could share my thoughts and experiences with my readers! The opinions I have given are 100% mine based on my experiences. My affiliate link may be embedded in this post.
49 Responses to Mental Blox by Learning Resources – This Game is GREAT for Improving Memory & Stategy Skills!
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My daughter would love the New Sprouts™ Ring It Up Cash Register – My very own cash register. She is all about playing store and I”m trying to figure out ways to help her learn about money, numbers and math using that love. This would really help.
The Rhyme and Sort Rockets are cool! http://www.learningresources.com/product/rhyme+-+sort+rockets–8482-.do?sortby=ourPicks&sortby=&
Love the All About Me Family Counters!
I love the New Sprouts™ Breakfast Basket
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
I really like the mental blox and all the different ways to play with it, and how it encourages critical thinking skills. My son would like to have theese.
I like the Primary Science Plant & Grow Set
I think the Snapshots™ Critical Thinking Photo Cards, Grades PreK–K are nice
jumbo magnifiers and stand debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
I love the learning gears!
How cool is this?!? I’ve never seen a set like this one! Keeping my fingers crossed! Thank you for offering it!!
The Tilt and View Animal X rays are cool!
I like the Rhyme & Sort Rockets
I really like the New Sprouts™ Fresh Picked Fruit & Veggie Tote .
I like the New Sprouts Breakfast Basket
I like the Simple Tape Measure.
Love the Ten-Frame Treasures
The Tilt and View Animal X rays
tri-FACTa™ Addition & Subtraction Game
Thanks
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
I love the glo-Pane™ Ultra-Slim Light Panel
Thank you
I think my kids would like the New Sprouts™ Ring It Up Cash Register – My very own cash register
I still love the cash register, even the new one.
I like the Funky Monkey Forecast™ Magnetic Daily Weather Set.
I like the iTrax Game
10 frame treasure chest
*kelly
kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com
I love the rhyme and sort rockets.
I like the 10 frame treasures
I also like the New Sprouts Breakfast Basket. Thanks for hosting!
I like the Snapshots™ Critical Thinking Photo Cards, Grades 1–2
I like the Smart Snacks® Shape Sorting Cupcakes
tri-FACTa™ Addition & Subtraction Game
I like the Primary Science Plant & Grow Set
my granddaughter would like the new sprouts ring it up cash register
i also like the Primary Science Plant & Grow Set
OH I also love the Smart Snacks® Shape Sorting Cupcakes!
New Sprouts™ Ring It Up Cash Register – My very own cash register.
The Primary Science sensory tubes is nice!
like the all about me family counters
Awesome toy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like the
Quick View
Giant Magnetic Gallon Set. Thank you
I like the Tilt & View Animal Xrays
Love the New Sprouts™ Ring It Up Cash Register
I like the All About Me Family Counters
i like the
Funky Monkey Forecast Magnetic Daily Weather Set
I like the Primary Science Sensory Tubes
I like that this makes learning fun for kids.
Primary Science Plant & Grow Set
I like The Ten Frame Treasures!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
we like the
New Sprouts™ Ring It Up Cash Register
I like the Rhyme & Sort Rockets™