Magna-Tiles does dwell

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Take a look at dwell magazine’s design week pattern! We are inspired by cool colors and geometric shapes. Magna-Tects made a #magnatiles version on a magnetic dry erase board:

Dwell Magazine design week 2012

Valtech Magna-Tiles + dwell

Their pattern is made up of 8 colorful quadrilaterals!  Small Squares and Right Triangles were used to replicate the logo on a magnetic white board.  Encourage children to identify and describe patterns! Check out dwell for more architecture and design inspiration! 

Magna-Tiles in the Window!

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A four year old Magna-Tects lined up Magna-Tiles in his window!

Small squares were arranged across the window sill behind a decorative snowflake light!

Magna-Tiles Clear Colors are translucent and the light shining through changes the appearance of the colors. Cool!

Four Isosceles triangles were arranged on top of the vertically standing Small Squares in the front row. How many Equilateral Triangles were used in the second row?

Do you see a pattern? Magna-Tects arranged the Triangles in a pattern of placing them on top of every other Small Square. If 15 Small Squares were used in the second row and there is an Equilateral Triangle on the first and last square, how many Equilateral Triangles are needed?

Magna-Tiles + Stripes + Plaid

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We love Patterns! What patterns do you see in this photo?

Magna-Tiles and Stripes and Plaid

This Magna-Tect is wearing a plaid dress and striped tights! Her tights are colored red, white, red, white…

Magna-Tiles and Stripes and Plaid

We can replicate this ABAB Pattern with Magna-Tiles colors! Describe the pattern and say the colors out loud, “red, white, red, white…”

Magna-Tiles and Stripes and Plaid

Below are two Magna-Tiles Towers made by Stacking small squares! Magna-Tiles “click” together as children grasp, take apart, and put back together Shapes.

Magna-Tiles and Stripes and Plaid

Challenge Children to build a tall tower! Thank you for sharing @juliebie

Magna-Tiles + The Avengers

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Magna-Tects created characters from the 2012 film The Avengers! Can you name the characters from left to right?

Avengers Magna-Tiles Creation

First is The Hulk! He has a vertical line of symmetry. Imagine drawing a line up and down in the middle…. it would create a mirror image on either side of this line!

In the middle is Iron Man! He wears a powered armor that gives him superhuman strength and durability as well as flight! Magna-Tects conveyed this with the color Red. Iron Man is known for his ability to fire rays from the palms of his gauntlets! We can see this represented with orange Small Squares.

On the right side is  Captain America! We are able to recognize this superhero by his blue costume and shield! Magna-Tects made the shield as the shape of a hexagon with red Equilateral Triangles.

Very cool Magna-Tiles Creation! Children express themselves and show understanding through Magna-Tiles play!

Magna-Tiles Snow Day!

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Magna-Tiles Snowmen! These #magnatiles creations have a vertical line of symmetry. Not all Snowmen are the same shape and size… how will you design yours?!

The Snowman on the left was made by stacking 3 Octagons! How can we describe the shape of the second Snowman?

When it is too cold to play outisde, Magna-Tects (2 and 5 years-old) made Magna-Tiles Snowflakes inside! Children express themselves by creating designs and patterns with basic geometric shapes.

Magna-Tiles Hockey Rink

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Magna-Tects designed their own Magna-Tiles Hockey Rinks! The first setup has a shape made up of three Rectangles. One rectangle is the ice rink, the second rectangle is behind the goal, and the third is where the players are waiting!  Can you see that the third rectangle is divided into three equal sections?

Magna-Tiles Hockey Rink (1)

The second setup has replaced the toy goals! Instead, there are two Right Triangles positioned to catch the puck. Which is bigger; the toy goals or the Shape of the #magnatiles goal using Small Squares and Right Triangles? We hypothesize that the toy goals are wider but the #magnatiles goals do not have a top so it is open on top!

Which Hockey Rink setup has a bigger playing space? To find out, we measure the surface area!

  • Setup # 1 is 6 Small Squares long and 4 Small Squares wide. 6 x 4 = 24 Magna-Tiles Small Squares
  • Setup # 2 is 6 Small Squares long and 3 Small Squares wide. 6 x 3 = 18 Magna-Tiles Small Squares

Or, simply count Small Squares used to make the “floor” of the hockey rink! 24 > 18 so the first setup has a larger playing area!

Magna-Tiles Hockey Rink (2)

It is fun to incorporate math ideas in Magna-Tiles play! Parents can use math language to encourage a positive attitude towards math and to demonstrate the importance of math skills in our everyday lives!

These #magnatiles Hockey Rinks were designed and made by Magna-Tects who love hockey! Here is their homemade hockey rink in their own backyard!

Sometimes our Magna-Tiles Creations are knocked down and Magna-Tects must rebuild! Even Felix the Cat enjoys Magna-Tiles and Hockey!

Magna-Tiles Hockey Rink + Cat