Talk to any early childhood educator and they will tell you (actually let’s face it, they’ll probably begin an enthusiastic speech!) about the amazing benefits of play for children’s development. In fact, play is so important in the growth of children that it is actually recognized as a human right by the United Nations. Many toy options available for children that it’s often difficult for parents to determine what is worth investing in – and let’s be honest every parent doesn’t want to purchase toys just to see them sitting on the shelves or in a basket day in and day out. This is one of the great things about open-ended toys, they can be used as more than only a single play, but they can be employed in many different ways and across a variety of age brackets, with the play becoming more involved and complicated as children age and development progresses.

In playing with Connetix, what are some of the ways your child is growing and learning? Below is an idea of the best – and I’m sure there are many more of the ways that playing with our open-ended tiles can benefit your child’s growth (without they even knowing! )…

1. Creativity

It’s a bit cliché, but creativity really is limitless with the Connetix ball run as they can be utilized in a unique way each moment they are played with! In addition to being essential in many professions in the near future, but open-ended toys let children be creative and discover different feelings and emotions.

2. The Imagination

According to Albert Einstein once said, ” imagination is more important than knowledge.” What can you construct using your Connetix? A castle? Plane? Animal? Dollhouse? Spaceship? Bridge? Robot? A.K.A. The Loch Ness monster? Statue of Liberty? Eiffel Tower? You might be surprised by the designs they create. Include your Connetix with other play materials or loose pieces to make play more engaging.

3. Magnetic force

While playing with Connetix fascinating method to learn about magnetic force, it is also a great way to learn about the attraction between two magnets of two Poles (north and south). Watch them repel when they play with putting two opposite magnets.

4. Shapes

Connetix sets may include 2D designs of squares, triangles (equilateral triangles as well as right-angled triangles and isosceles triangles) as well as rectangles that can be employed as 2D building tiles or 3D shapes through the creation of nets. Children can develop an appreciation of shapes and their properties through playing, for example, the number of corners and sides they have (and for 3D shapes, the number of faces as well as edges and vertices) and for children older than it is a great way to explore diverse triangles and angles. Interactive, fun and exciting learning is right there!

5. Counting

“How many tiles high could we construct our tower before it collapses?” “How many squares do we need to construct an equilateral cube?” “Let’s use 4 blue squares and 5 Red pieces.” There are so different ways that counting can occur when kids play with Connetix.

6. One-to-one correspondence

It leads me to one-to one correspondence which is the ability to identify an object by an equivalent number. Most often, children are counting in their mouths without knowing what it is actually referring to or counting a collection of objects, but adding an additional number or two into. This is an important skill to acquire and an easy one to develop through play.

7. Symmetry and patterns

Have fun using your Connetix to make mandalas or patterns – it is a fantastic way to expose children to patterns and symmetry. It is a good idea to extend older children in the classroom with more intricate patterns to follow and make using Connetix (eg. ABBC, ABBC etc) which is a lot more fun than worksheets!

8. Colours

Not only is playing with Connetix an ideal way to explore colours, it is also an amazing way to understand about light, translucency and to create stunning, vibrant reflections. Pop Connetix in front of the window or on a table, or on magnetic counters to have even more color fun!

9. Balance, Stability, and weight

Exploring stability, weight and balance is an integral element of the Connetix experience. Children are able to see how tall they can get before the tower falls over, explore what’s needed to construct structures that are solid as well as experiment with weight and gravity.

10. Collaboration and teamwork

What teacher or parent doesn’t love watching a group of children playing with toys that are open to play together to create something? Connetix are the perfect open-ended plaything to keep at school or at home to encourage teamwork and cooperation (just keep in mind, these skills will mean less arguments!)

11. Problem solutions

The ability to solve problems is a challenging skill for a child , and one that takes time and repetition to acquire. Playing with Connetix kids can play with the concept of solving problems while the construction of structures alone or in a group, working to figure out the most efficient way to build their ideas and designs.

12. Fine and gross motor abilities

Have you ever thought that properly developed gross and fine motor skills are essential to efficient handwriting and pencil grip? When building with Connetix, kids are using these abilities to stretch, bend and reach, grasp, squeeze, and much more.

13. Perseverance

The best way for you to practice perseverance than to continue building, creating, working together…and not just that, to have a building you’ve been creating fall! “Ok I’m going to attempt again!”

14. Engineering and planning

When it comes to children, deciding on what to build and the best way to do it often involves an element of engineering and planning, especially for complex structures such as bridges or when they are working with others and combining their ideas. Meet your very own little Iggy Peck Engineer or architect!

15. Cause and impact

What’s the reason and impact when your children construct using Connetix? If they place two tiles on top of one another, will they pull or pull apart? When they take two tiles, will they break apart? If they make tiles with no support, what will happen? A lot of discoveries are made while they play!

16. The properties of materials and aesthetics

While playing with Connetix children explore various materials using their senses eg. the touch (they feel smooth, hard What is the material like? What is the strength? How heavy? ) (sight (colours reflections), hearing (do they make a sound when they are joined? When they fall? ).

17. Hand-eye coordination

Connetix is a great way to help your child build hand-eye coordination while they pick up, grasp and manipulate objects in order to create their ideals.

18. Language skills

Play is a wonderful method for children to improve and enhance their communication abilities. Through play children can not only explore their own speech , but also listen to those of their friends and adults, taking in speech sounds, vocabulary and effective ways of communicating.

19. Concentration

Concentration and concentrate does not come easily for all children , but building the ability to concentrate and focus using Connetix is a fantastic method to develop and practice this ability. Concentration is a way for children to concentrate on their task and to learn, which in turn improves confidence in themselves. That leads me to…

20. Self-esteem

The sense of satisfaction, pride and joy when they’ve created something they are proud of is a wonderful way for kids to build their self-esteem.

Connetix Tiles are a fantastic open-ended toy to help support your child’s education and development in a fun and engaging way!