Like most of you, we’re constantly on the lookout for new resources which will add to our learning experience and encourage family adventures. We’ll be honest, when first given an opportunity to explore Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks we weren’t sure how these would fit into our routine. Would our big kids benefit from this? Oh, my friends; you have no idea! After one short month, our family can’t stop saying enough about this amazingly fun, educational resource.
Brain Blox is a family-owned company whose mission is to help families draw closer to one another and be purposeful in their time together. Every item available at Brain Blox Nation seeks to help them accomplish these goals. Available now, Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks develop children’s understanding of mathematic and engineering principles, develops problem solving skills, improves spatial awareness, and more.
Always up for a new adventure, our family gladly accepted an opportunity to review Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks. Our box included 200 natural wooden building planks, a lovely red canvas drawstring backpack, and a Brain Blox Building Ideas pamphlet.
In addition to our Natural Wooden Building Planks, we found we had access to the Brain Blox website, including a menu of “Free Stuff”. We were pleased to find a multitude of resources available:
•Let’s Build! Idea Cards – A digital set of building cards, organized by level of difficulty.
•Brain Blox World eBook – A visual display of building project ideas.
•IQ Brain Puzzles! – A digital set of thirteen challenges, incorporating spatial learning.
•Build Idea Videos – Links to engaging YouTube clips sharing fun building projects.
•Build Ideas Booklet – A quick list of building ideas which correspond to video clips.
•Brain Blox University – Lesson plans enhancing spatial awareness and offering more fun
•Conscious Kids Journal – A set of colorful journal pages including exercises in Affirmation, Weekly Kindness, Generosity, and more!
Once our box arrived we immediately began to explore. We were impressed with the wooden building planks. Brain Blox are 100% all-natural and earth friendly; chemical free and safe for kids. Made of premium New Zealand Pine, each plank is cut smoothly and perfect for little hands. They feel good in the hand, with no rough edges. The drawstring backpack is made of sturdy material; a cheerful color. And while the wooden building planks alone lend themselves to a world of possibility, the Brain Blox website has no end of amazing resources to encourage learning.
I was curious to test the building planks on my big kids, wondering what they might create first. Leaving the Brain Blox package out on our learning table, I gave no instructions, but left them to explore on their own. After a quick look at the included Brain Blox Ideas pamphlet, they decided to tackle the helix project first. It took several tries, but they finally got it. They quickly began to understand this might be more of a challenge than anticipated; creating a structure with the given height they desired.
Throughout the following weeks, we took out the Brain Blox when visiting with friends and their littles. It soon became a favorite, even amongst the dads! The men found great fun in building tall structures, encouraging the little kids to then topple their buildings; cheering them on.
To enhance my children’s learning, I chose to incorporate many of the IQ Puzzles into our routine. At the start of our day I would set out the puzzle, allowing the kids to approach the challenge at their discretion. The first few proved very simple for them; taking only a few moments. This was encouraging for me, knowing they could solve them quickly. Later puzzles took several minutes and occasional group effort, but proved equally fun.
On days we did not work on IQ Puzzles we focused attention on Let’s Build! cards. Given more simple structures, our kids were challenged with enhancing the original design; making it their own.
I would have liked to make use of Brain Blox University and the Conscious Kids’ Journal pages, but found these more suited to a younger audience. They are certainly lovely options, and perhaps might use them in the future while teaching classes. We did, however, make sure to spend time viewing the Brain Blox YouTube channel. The videos are amazing fun; engaging and clever! The videos are well-made and a joy to watch. Playlists include: “Get Inspired”, six separate projects including a pirate ship and more; “Build Ideas”, eight projects including everything from airplanes and a castle gage to a fishing dock and the Parthenon; and “Brain Teasers”, four challenges using Brain Blox to help enhance spatial awareness!
Thus far, we’ve enjoyed everything about our time exploring Brain Blox. Using the wooden planks has been great fun, and a learning bonus! They have quickly become a favorite amongst our little friends who enjoy visiting and hold a great deal of potential for future projects. One of our favorite Brain Blox project ideas has been the Build Ideas Character challenge, an art opportunity which involves painting our planks to look like any character we enjoy. It has been especially fun to view the many ways Brain Blox has chosen to paint their own planks, many of which are seen in their YouTube videos!
The only thing addition we would like to see to Brain Blox? While we love that their IQ Brain Puzzles and Build Ideas! cards are in digital format, it would be nice if these were also available for purchase; preferably on good card stock and laminated. We like the idea of being able to pull these out to use without having to use the internet. While we could print them ourselves, we confess, sometimes it’s just easier to purchase. It would be nice to have that option.
The suggested age range for Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks is 4-104, and we honestly believe that stands true. These wooden planks hold a world of possibility and may be enjoyed by all. We can’t wait to share these with new homeschooling families we often have the privilege of hosting and using them in future coop classes, in addition to keeping them an active part of our learning day. Both as a learning tool and family fun, Brain Blox are a wonderful addition to the household. We highly recommend taking advantage of this learning resource and would encourage making them a part of any learning routine.
If you’d like to learn more about Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks or Brain Blox, please visit them at their website and on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram!
To read additional reviews like this one, and gain more insight into this series, please visit The Homeschool Review Crew.
We’d love to know… How would you incorporate Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks into your homeschooling routine?
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