March 31, 2015
If you have not yet allowed your inner child to emerge and get lost in playing with this material, you should. Critical thinking, geometry, science and engineering by constructing in 3-D, fine motor skills, creativity are all being developed with this fantastic open-ended material . Here are a few things you can do with your child –
- After they create something, ask them to tell you how they built it.
- Collaborate with your children; ask them what you can make together and come up with a plan for execution.
- Did you make a light box (see last weeks blog)? The translucent Magna-Tiles® are so cool to work with on a light box. Not only are they visually interesting but you can also experiment with mixing colors and so much more.
- Use math words when talking to your children about what they made or what you are making.
- Ready for a big math word? Make a tessellation! A tessellation is created when we cover a surface with a pattern of flat shapes so that there are no overlaps or gaps. There are different types of tessellations, but this is where the math becomes more complicated so I will leave that explanation to the mathematicians. However, if your child is older, interested in tessellations, and ready for a challenge, I encourage you to research the topic together. If we want children to be lifelong learners, they need to know that the important adults in their lives don’t know everything and are also always learning something new.
If you and your children do not have access to Magna-Tiles®, I encourage you to visit DCM@the Mall, where we have both the translucent and solid colors to play with. You might also want to check the youth area of your local public library.
