OUR
YOUNGEST FAN
(top of page)
|
Jamie,
age three and a half, our youngest Fractiles
Fan, with his composition "Porcupine". Jamie
is proud that he made his design with with
no adult help.
(Due
to the small size of the tiles, adult supervision
is recommended
for ages under 6.) |
ELDERLY
(top
of page)
"I
gave my 89 year old mother a set of Fractiles
for Mother’s Day. She is confined to sitting
in a chair a lot and I felt this might be a
good past time game for her. She said 'Fractiles
gives me so much pleasure. You cannot imagine
how much I enjoy Fractiles-7. I spend hours
playing with it!' Thank you!"
- Elizabeth Nielson, Denver, CO
MUSEUM
SHOPS
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of page)
"My grandchildren have
enjoyed the Fractiles set I purchased for them
at the Orlando Museum of Art more than anything
I have given them in a long time. As chair person
of the committee selecting the merchandise,
I have researched Museum Stores for a year,
testing children's things on my granddaughters,
age 12 and grandson, age 9. These are the best
thing yet! The whole family has enjoyed them
and they are super for travel!"
- Diane B. Crichlow,
Museum Store Chair
Reynolda House Museum of American
Art, Winston-Salem, NC
GROWN
UP KIDS
(top of page)
Fun
for kids if they can get it from the grownups.
"I've set this out at parties and people
are fascinated. You can play while having a
conversation and a drink...and it gets interesting
when more than one person works on something
at the same time."
--Peggy Jo (Colorado) April 19, 2007
"Fractiles 7, I love this item. My granddaughter
received it for Christmas and I was so excited
about it I ordered it for myself. I think it
is a little too challenging for a 7 yr old -
but I love it."
-- Mavis L. Clinedinst (New Jersey)
February 14, 2007
"I found Fractiles about a month ago at
a natural history museum..... They haven't been
put away yet. Our nieces and nephews give us
a hard time. They say, 'For a couple with no
kids, you have a LOT of toys!' "
- Rebecca
PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES
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of page)
"As
an adult day program - we are constantly searching
for activities that will catch and keep the
attention of our Altzheimers participants.
Fractiles
has been a very successful tool for us - keeping
one participant engaged for sometimes hours
as he waits for his wife to pick him up. He
always recognizes it as something familiar when
we pull it out and ask him to help us with our
'project' ."
-
Ann Muñios Director - Carelink: Adult
Day Care Providers, City of Boulder Senior Services,
Boulder, CO
"Since
I'm incapacitated due to a stroke, I find that
Fractiles-7 is a delightful way to spend a few
hours. As a retired commercial artist, I also
find that Fractiles-7 compliments both my interests
and my meager talents."
-
John L. Retired Commercial
Artist, San Diego, CA
|
|
| Dr.
George Campbell , President of the National
Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.
Dr. Cambell is pictured with students
from Burville Elementary School, Northeast
Washington, D.C., during the National
Science Foundation's Figure This Math
Challenge in 1999. |
PARENTS
(top of page)
"Fractiles
is rated for Children 6+, but my 5 year old
loves it! My father, a scientist, gave it to
him as a birthday gift. Matthew loves to make
the patterns shown on the package, and his 10
year old brother makes patterns of his own.
They have spent hours with it, and so have I.
For the younger boy, it's great for following
patterns and motor skills, for the older one
it is a creative toy. We recommend it!"
- Toy Enthusiast and father
of two from Santa Barbara County
"I
bought Fractiles for my son who was 3 at the
time and he played with it for hours at a time.
He still plays with it and is now 5. He can
make all of the designs on the outside cover.
He also comes up with cool designs of his own."
- Denise M.
"I'm
getting my grandson more Fractiles for Christmas.
They are great for children who get restless
during church services. Thanks!"
- Janet P., Chattanooga, TN
ONLINE
REVIEWS
(top
of page)
Editorial
Review
toysrus.com & amazon.com
Wonderful fun with symmetry! Arrange 192
magnetized plastic tiles (in yellow, red,
and blue) on a 12-inch square steel activity
board and discover just how many patterns
and combinations are possible. (You guessed
it: a lot!) The clever part is that all
three shapes are types of diamonds, and
their angles represent six different fractions
of 360 degrees. Dozens of clever designs
and pictograms are featured on the cardboard
carrying case, including "Ribbon
Candy," "Scrambled Mandala,"
and "Funky Chicken." But creating
designs is only half the fun; instructions
are given for several puzzles and games
too, plus an explanation of different
kinds of symmetry. Ideal for travel, though
the tiles are probably too small for children
under 6.
- Richard Farr |
Funky Chicken |
Customer
Reviews
Toymagnets.com
Best new toy for grownups in ages!
|
Fantastic
Fun
Posted 10/03/2005 by kristen fleck
Rating: 
My 6 Year old daughter loves Fractiles!
We took it on a trip recently and it was
a life saver. Great investment!
|
Fractiles
7 Travel Ed
Posted 09/26/2005 by Fran Morris-Higgins
Rating:
I really love this puzzle. I had a car accident
13 years ago and went through many years
of cognitive retraining. I started using
Tan-grams, etc during this time frame. I
am always looking fof new puzzle-like items
to keep improving my brain function. This
is wonderful! It is enjoyable and challenging
at the same. I use almost every day.
|
Great
Product
Posted 09/12/2005 by Jeannine Wargacki
Rating:
"Fractiles is a great product. Even
my barely three old loves it. I purchased
it for an upcoming flight to keep her busy.
If it doesn't keep her busy for the whole
flight it'll certainly keep me busy. Thanks
again for the great product."
|
Fun
Educational Toy
Posted 09/08/2005 by Jennifer Jensen
Rating:
"My seven year old loves this toy.
I just gave it to her last night and she
hasn't stopped playing with it. She uses
Fractiles at school so this is a good way
to reinforce what she is learning. I like
that it is magnetic so she can carry her
'creations' from room to room to show me
and her father. It'll be great on trips."
|
Completely
Delighted
Posted 08/18/2005 by R. Skirm
Rating:
"This is a wonderful toy and a learning
tool. It's the perfect size and has enough
pieces to create complex designs. I was
completely delighted when I first opened
it up. It is suitable for kids interested
in geometry, color, pattern, construction." |
Likes Fractiles
Best!
Posted 05/16/2005 by Kandi Chapman
Rating:
"I've used tiles in a few different
forms - foam and wooden pieces - but I like
the Fractiles magnetic tiles best! One of
my complaints was that the children could
not make difficult shapes and patterns without
messing up their design while pushing the
tiles up against each other. This would
make the child extremely frustrated, but
the magnetic tiles stay put! Good work!" |
Brain Stimulating
for Children
Posted 04/28/2005 by Robert D Lewis
Rating:
"Fractiles-7 is a wonderful toy for
either the mathematically or artistically
inclined adult. The process of creating
patterns is both meditative and engrossing.
Since the tile set can be enlarged by
the simple expedient of ordering more
sets, the possibilities truly are endless--and
the results are beautiful. It makes a
fantastic, brain stimulating gift for
children, too." |
A
hit with WHOLE family!
Posted 03/17/2005
Rating:
"I bought Fractiles as a birthday gift
for a boy turning 8. His mother says he
loves playing with it, so does his 5 year
old brother and so does she! I'm pleased
with Fractiles-7 as my gift choice!" |
A Set For Each
Kid
Posted 02/25/2005 by Brenda Geary
Rating:
"I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old
who simply LOVE Fractiles! We have had so
much fun as a family making designs on the
board. We bought 2 sets - 1 for each kid
and I am glad we did - they would certainly
be fighting over who would get to use it!" |
Pretty Fun
Posted 02/25/2005 by Paula McKinney
Rating: 
"These are pretty fun. There are
lots of ideas on the back of the envelope.
Each of the colors is cut with different
angles. The only bad thing is that even
though it seems that it has a lot of pieces
in the package, they get used up pretty
fast. I would recommend getting a bigger
package of these if you have more than
one person who is going to be playing
with these." |
Genius
in its Simplicity!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Francesca
Rating:
"This toy is genius in its simplicity.
The enclosed booklet is great for generating
ideas and it does travel well, thanks to
the magnets and plastic bag with seal that
comes with." |
Love Travel Fractiles!
Posted 12/02/2004 by Marianne Houghton
Rating:
"I really love this item. My 8 year
old son received this as a gift two years
ago and all three of my children play with
it (ages 5,7,8). It is a great size to fit
in the children's backpack and also perfect
for car trips. I often walk into the bedrooms
and find one of them on the floor creating
some design. Also the size and weight is
great for the gifts that require shipping."
|
Fun, Not Overwhelming!
Posted 12/01/2004 by Veronica Larvie
Rating:
"I intend to give this to my kids (ages
3 and 6) to use in the car. I've looked
it over and like it a lot. The magnets are
strong, which is critical, and the overall
package is big enough to be fun, but not
overwhelming for small hands in a tight
(car) environment." |
DEVELOPMENTALLY
DISABLED
(top
of page)
"My
32 year old developmentally disabled daughter
Amy really loves Fractiles-7. Amy enjoys hours
and hours of playing with Fractiles. The magnetic
tiles are easy to manipulate and help keep her
designs in place."
- Joan S.
HOSPITAL
PATIENTS
(top of page)
Fractiles
has been chosen for children's hospitals program.
"My
eleven year old granddaughter was recently in
the hospital for surgery. The pre-op nurse,
always looking for calming and soothing activities
to help relax the children before surgery, gave
my granddaughter a set of Fractiles to play
with. My granddaughter and the other children
awaiting surgery just loved Fractiles. And it
did have a calming affect. My granddaughter
enjoyed Fractiles so much that I bought her
a set of her own. She and her cousin play with
Fractiles together for hours on end, totally
ignoring the TV!"
BOULDER FRACTILES FANS
(top of page)
TRAVELERS
(top of page)
Cool Toy for Travel!
Posted 07/04/2005 by Karen Shelton
Rating:
"This is a great travel toy. The size of
the board and the magnetic surface makes it
great for the airplane or car. It encourages
creativity and builds visual-spatial skills.
My husband is having as much fun using it as
my 6 year old."
Excellent travel
companion!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Mary Schneider
Rating:
"I purchased two of these, one each for
my daughters--5 and 7. They absolutely enjoy
working and designing with this product. They
don't even realize they are learning as they
create. Hours passed by on the plane as they
put together countless designs to be shown to
others. This item is a wonderful idea as it
is neither too difficult for my 5 year-old nor
too easy for my 7 year-old. Each created beautiful
designs from the start without it being too
frustrating. I would recommend this product
for children 5 and over especially while traveling
because it truly engages children."
"Our children, ages six and seven, just play
with Fractiles all the time! We bring it in
the car for long rides and it really keeps them
content. Fractiles is a wonderful travel toy!"
- Terry, Mother of Two
"My
grandchildren have enjoyed the Fractiles set
I purchased for them at the Orlando Museum of
Art more than anything I have given them in
a long time. As chair person of the committee
selecting the merchandise, I have researched
Museum Stores for a year, testing children's
things on my granddaughters, age 12 and grandson,
age 9. These are the best thing yet! The whole
family has enjoyed them and they are super for
travel!"
- Diane B. Crichlow, Museum
Store Chair
Reynolda House Museum of American
Art, Winston-Salem, NC
MATH
PUZZLE FANS
(top
of page)
"Tiling
theory is one of the hottest topics in today's
mathematical research. Fractiles-7 is a marvelous
way to introduce the wonders of tiling patterns
to pre-college age students. The 7-fold patterns
are positively addictive! One can spend tireless
hours creating endless patterns of amazing intricacy
and beauty."
-
Martin Gardner, World Famous Scientific
American Puzzle Master
"If
you are like me, you will want a set of these
magnetic little rhombuses to build many wonderful
and imaginative designs. There are extensions
of this concept, in the genera of geometric
"dissections" that take this concept well beyond
mere child's play, and may have implications
for design paradigms with deep educational and
even professional consequences in such fields
as architecture and publishing."
-
Dr. Phillips Verner Bradford,
Former Executive Director of the Colorado Advanced
Technology Institute and Author of the remarkable
book Ota
Benga, the Pygmy in the Zoo
DANICA
McKELLAR AND FRIENDS
(top of page)
|
| Pictured
with students: Danica McKellar, actress
and mathematician. She played "Winnie Cooper"
on the ABC series The Wonder Years.
|
EYE
DOCTORS
(top
of page)
"Thank
you for creating the Fractiles product! In our
vision therapy we use Fractiles to improve visual-perceptual
skills in children and adults. Fractiles is
a great tool to improve visual-spatial relations,
visual memory, visual form perception, visual
discrimination, visual form, constancy, visual
closure, and visual figure-ground skills. As
behavioral optometrists, we recognize that vision
develops during infancy and childhood and adequate
visual skills will only develop if the proper
stimulation to the visual system is provided.
We use parquetry blocks to develop many of these
skills as a beginning activity. Once the visual
patient is successful with this type of task,
Fractiles is introduced as a fun, creative and
challenging way for our patients to hone their
visual-perceptual skills. Thanks again!"
Sincerely,
Dr. Dorothy M. Parrott
Dr. Marisa Atria Kruger
Dr. Audrey L. Dockins
Behavioral Optometrists
Lakewood, CO
Z
ooTEACHER
TESTIMONIALS
(top of page)
Encourages
creativity and thinking skills!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Sarah Wilson
Rating:
"One of my 4th grade students was enjoying
the Fractiles so much, it inspired me to purchase
a set for each of my two 7-year-old nephews!
The magnetic board is a great asset and the
product encourages creativity and thinking skills.
"
"My first graders are learning about shapes
in our math class and using Fractiles-7 is a
complimentary activity which they thoroughly
enjoy. It's so popular that we have a sign up
for equal turns!"
-Marilyn Bowker, First Grade
Teacher Willett Elementary School, Davis, CA
"I
find my students are captivated by Fractiles-7.
Their sense of pride and accomplishment is immense
when they show me what they have created. It
makes them feel extra special about math. What
a motivator! Fractiles is a terrific training
aide that disguises learning as fun. It is reasonable
to predict that Fractiles will remain a staple
in my curriculum."
-Bob Curry, Elementary School
Teacher The Learning Adventure School, San Diego,
CA
"My
8th grade students are fascinated with Fractiles
and enjoy making designs with them. Fractiles
is especially applicable because we are studying
geometric shapes and their relationships. I
know they will be useful for a long time."
-Juanita Smith-Nakao, 8th
Grade Math Teacher James Curran Middle School,
Bakersfield, CA
"My
students love Fractiles!"
-Patricia Hardwick, 4th Grade
Teacher Zilker Elementary School, Austin, TX
"My
7th and 8th graders live for free time so that
they can play with Fractiles."
-Sandra Bullard, Teacher,
The Prentice School "Where children with dyslexia
learn to learn"
"Fractiles-7
is a tremendous addition to my grade 2 Math
and Design Program - plus the students love
them!"
-Sydney Tyler-Parker, Cabrillo
Elementary School, Pacifica, CA
