DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Shape Mags. I received product in exchange for my 100% honest review.
Like many other families who have kids, we live in a home that could easily pass as a toy store. With four kids in four different stages of growth, it's impossible to avoid. Between all those birthdays and holidays, the toy clutter gets out of control very quickly!
Over the years, my toy purchasing tendencies have changed. I used to buy any toy that was popular. Thankfully, I learned my lesson, and became very selective about what toys came into our home. As many parents know, not every toy is beneficial!
After I had Liam, who has Down syndrome, I became more selective than ever. He needed a wide selection of fun toys that could meet all of his needs and help him build the skills he needed in order to thrive, so I began to research toys before I bought them. I started to choose toys that were fun and educational, and could grow with him. I always looked for toys that could be used by his siblings, too. Filling our home with quality, versatile toys was the secret to getting the toy clutter under control!
I love it when I find a toy that each of my children can use, and I especially love when it encourages them to play together. If it inspires me to sit down and play with them, too, it's a clear winner!
Shape Mags Magnetic Stick N Stack is all that and more! I truly believe these magnetic tiles are a must have for every child! Shape Mags are clear tiles that have powerful magnets inside of them, and they stick together like magic. The trademark shapes and adorable magnetic characters, along with the ability to create tall structures, are unique to Shape Mags alone. They are incredibly fun to play with (even for me), but more important, they are beneficial. They inspire kids to think and be creative. By playing with Shape Mags, children can have fun while learning and building crucial STEM skills along the way!
Shape Mags recently sent the 120 piece Classic Set and the Magnetic Stick N Stack Magnetic Tiles Idea Book for my kids to try. They were an instant hit with all four of my kids! Upon opening the package, Lexie and Lily played with them together for three hours straight, without arguing, which absolutely shocked me. Even after a month of play, Shape Mags are still being used every single day in my home by all of my kids!
Shape Mags are the perfect therapy tool for Liam. He doesn't even realize that he's working on building his fine motor and problem solving skills while he plays!
I try to encourage STEM activities as often as possible with my girls. Studies have shown that very few women actually pursue STEM careers, so when I see them run to the closet and return with the box of Shape Mags, it makes me very happy!
Even Dylan, who is less than 6 months away from becoming a teenager, enjoys building with Shape Mags. Although his dream is to become an NBA player, his more realistic plan is to become an engineer. I love to watch him work hard to build elaborate structures with these magnetic tiles!
I'm not ashamed to admit that even I play with Shape Mags! My kids think it's awesome when I sit down to play with them, and these encourage me to do so more often. I've been having so much fun duplicating some of the more complex ideas that are in the Idea Book!
Shape Mags are a hit with my entire family, so I wanted to show you all the ways we have been using these magnetic tiles! They really are more than just for building, and we discovered several unique ways to play and learn!
12 Fun Ways To Play With Shape Mags
{Build}
Make your own creation or duplicate an idea from the Idea Book. Build a flat creation or make a structure. The possibilities are endless!
{Take the fun outdoors}
Sometimes it's fun to think outside the box when it comes to outdoor play. Shape Mags were a great choice for outdoor play! They are heavy enough that they won't blow away and large enough that they won't disappear in the grass. A picnic blanket and a round play mat (which doubles as a drawstring storage bag) kept the play contained in one area.
{Sort the colors}
Liam is learning his colors and this was a great tool for teaching that concept. The vibrant colors of the Shape Mags tiles made it easier for Liam to sort them into the correct piles! I said the color when Liam picked up a tile, and praised him when he matched it to the correct color. It quickly became a fun learning game for Liam!
{Sort the shapes}
This is another great way to teach the concept of sorting shapes. We made a pile for each shape, then let Liam match the remaining shapes to the correct pile. After he sorted the shapes, we named each shape. It was such a great way to help him learn to identify shapes!
{Stack}
This was a great way for Liam to work on his fine motor skills, but it was also a fun game for my bigger kids. They all had a great time trying to see who could build the tallest tower, and even more fun knocking the winning tower down!
{Imaginative Play}
I always encourage imaginative play, and Shape Mags compliment any toy! We tried out some ideas from the Idea Book, then the kids started to come up with their own ideas! (Like a doll house that got knocked down by the toddler tornado before I could snap a picture!)
{Experiment}
Which household items will stick to Shape Mags? Find out! Of course, it might turn into girls decorating structures with paper clips, but it's fun to discover which items are magnetic!
{Sketch}
If you have a kid who loves to draw, Shape Mags are perfect for sketching! Grab a piece of paper, some washable markers or colored pencils, and a few different Shapes from the Shape Mags set, and make a picture!
{Sensory Play}
Most kids LOVE to play with play dough, and most moms love it when they can play with play dough outdoors! Kick up sensory play a notch by using Shape Mags to make play dough impressions! It's also fun to roll out the play dough into a "canvas" and create a scene by making a picture out of Shape Mags impressions!
{Build on a magnetic surface}
My 10 year old discovered this idea, and I couldn't believe that I didn't think of it before her. Hello! Most refrigerators are magnetic!!! (Tip: For a bigger magnetic play area, try hanging an oil drip pan on the wall!)
{Let in the light}
We plan on buying Liam a light table for his birthday gift this year. These colorful, see-through tiles are the perfect addition to any light table! Since we didn't have one yet, we remembered the pretty window garden suncatchers we created last Summer for Camp Mom, and took the Shape Mags to the big window!
{Have (magnetic) fun on the go}
One of my top ten most popular blog posts is about easy travel ideas for kids! My simple 99 cent DIY chalkboard cookie sheets that I created for on the go get pinned all the time. They were the perfect choice for playing with Shape Mags on the go! (Check out that post for the super simple tutorial!)
Shape Mags inspired my kids to get creative and work together! They are having so much fun while building the critical thinking and problem solving skills that will help them in so many aspects of life. These cool magnetic tiles are a must have toy for kids of all ages!
How would YOU play with Shape Mags?
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