Magna-Tiles

Magna-Tiles are a fabulous new educational asset to our toy shelf at home. Since they arrived as a holiday gift from my parents to my 2.5 year old son I have been anticipating using them in the studio. Fortunately we have the classroom size set (100 pieces) which is enough for several children to play with at once.

As a building block material Magna-Tiles are instantly gratifying and almost addictive because they fit together so easily. They appeal to a wide range of ages. My youngest students are only 18 Months they were able to fit shapes together and intrigued to build. I encouraged students to create both flat and 3-D.
There were a lot of story lines attached to the structures, from houses with garages, to buildings with playgrounds, castles, and forts

I really liked seeing teamwork evolve, especially between new friends and unfamiliar students. Some children were very drawn to working with specific colors or shapes which supported skills like sharing  asking for what you need from your neighbor.