ThinkBlocks. The Toy That Teaches Thinking
When you read that title, does it strike you that children shouldn’t have to be taught to think? It did me too, at first, but when I reflect on my experiences as a teacher I quickly realize that they do. With the overstimulation children experience today from tv too early in life and too often as they grow, along with gaming and other passive forms of play, children’s creativity and thought processes are not developing the way they could be. That makes me sad, both for what our schools need try to compensate for and for the fate of our planet if we fail.
Developed by the scientists behind Thinkworks, ThinkBlocks “help people, organizations, parents and children thrive by learning analytical, critical, creative, prosocial and systems thinking. Based on decades of scientific research. ThinkBlocks are a revolutionary educational toy that teaches thinking skills by getting ideas out of your head and into your hands. You can’t predict where life’s journey will take your children, but if you prepare them to think, they will thrive.”
In reading about ThinkBlocks, I was rather apprehensive. They seemed like a toy that was way above the level of play that occurs in homes and I wondered if they should be geared more toward schools. When I opened the box and looked at them, I continued to wonder. However, as soon as I stepped back and allowed the kids to just play, all of my apprehension was gone. Vivian, pictured at left, is five years old and immediately took to them. With no guidance from us she was learning about magnetism and polar opposites. With guidance from adults, I now realize, these tools (not toys - tools) would be able to teach her to make connections in her brain that would otherwise be very hard to teach. If that sounds a little wishy washy to you, don’t worry - it did to me too! Check out the Ergo Lab for some great videos including tutorials/lesson ideas that make it easy to understand and execute. I’ve gone from apprehension to excitement!
Each ThinkBlock kit retails for $79.99. Contents include:
* 16 Small ThinkBlocks
* 8 Medium ThinkBlocks
* 2 Large ThinkBlocks
* 1 Get Started Guide
* 1 ThinkTiles Starter set (6 tiles)
* 1 Dry erase marker
* Online Access to Tutorials, Research and Resources
* Thinkworks’ Commitment to remarkable customer service
Win it! We’re giving away a ThinkBlock kit valued at $79.99 to one lucky winner. To enter, watch a few of the 19 activity tutorials in Ergo’s lab and leave a comment on this post telling us which one(s) you’d like to try first if you are the winner. Contest closes at noon MST on April 7, 2008.
Get up to two additional entries into this contest!
1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here.
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CONTEST CLOSED
Congrats to Mama4JC - Comment #17 - who said: Such an interesting concept! For our family, I would love to explore the One Problem…Multiple Perspectives - this would be something that would help all of us in life. 
Interesting to see so many of these abstract concepts in tangible form - genius!
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:02 am
the think theme
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 am
I like the “Understanding Ecosystems” idea. Thanks for the contest!
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 am
Organizing Systems would be the first thing I would use as a tool to help Dylan learn this lesson
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 am
The number line looks like a good one for my 4 year old to start with.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
perspectives on art
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
I was very impressed with the Think Blocks and loved the ecosystems, multiplying,dividing & factors plus the Prespectives of art videos. Mostly it got me thinking even if I don’t win that this type of learning system would be very beneficial to my 1,4,8 year old grandchildren. Martha W
ki4ggs(at)yahoo(dot)com
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
I like the idea of writing words or idea on the blocks or using stickers!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
I like the “Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units” activity.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 am
I would love to win these for my kids. We would use them first for multiplication and division.
I loved the customer testimonials, always good to see how other people use products. Thanks for the give away!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 am
Some of the ones I would definitely use with my daughter are: Metaphors & Similes, One Problem…Multiple Perspectives and Controllable Factors. These are such a great idea and a wonderful teaching tool.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 am
Being able to SHOW word assoication is amazing. The tutorial showing the relationship between mom and dad is amazing. My son watched it with me and thought it looked “cool”. The possiblities are limitless with these! Thanks!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am
I like the One Problem, Multiple Perspectives and the Understanding Ecosystems. I think these are great. Thanks for the opportunity!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
I would do Perspective Taking. Interesting visuals!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:38 am
I love the think, my daughter would benifit from the relationship activity. I plan on passing this on to her teacher, this would be great in class.
mcginnisfamily5(at)gmail(dot)com
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 am
Those are just fascinating! I am most interested in the Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
I think these are great. I’m interested in the ecosystems and also the relationships activity. Would love to win this for my son. Thanks!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Such an interesting concept! For our family, I would love to explore the One Problem…Multiple Perspectives - this would be something that would help all of us in life.
Interesting to see so many of these abstract concepts in tangible form - genius!
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
all about the ecosystems
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
my son is really into math, these would be great for multiplying and dividing concepts.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I would like to try the “us and them” and “making a relationship explicit”. I think these are brilliant!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
The ‘perspectives on art’ activity. great giveaway, thanks!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I think the “Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units” would be great for our house as a starting point. They all look amazing. My kids would go nuts!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
The US and Them was very thought provoking. My girls a little small for the politcal example but I like the idea using things they understand to teach them this concept.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
two I’d like - perspectives on art and self-similarity and thinking
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Metaphors and Similes is a concept we’re working on right now, so that would be great!
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I like the Multiple Perspectives and the Understanding Ecosystems. I think if would be fun to make up your own stuff, too. Thanks for the game!
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I think the Understanding Ecosystems activity would be helpful for younger children.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
“Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units” would make math more concrete using these wonderful ThinkBlocks for our Bella to have a firm foundation of numerical concepts.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I like the Multiplying, Dividing & Factoring idea.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I think the Ecosystems activity looks cool.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Understandng the Ecosystem
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I LOVE this product. We home school and I’m always amazed at the lack of thinking skills in some people. We emphasize that in our home. I could not get any videos when I went to the page. I tried several times, but nothing came up. However, I would say, having never seen them, I would use it especially for Math with my girls. I would have been especially interested to see the business one.
Great giveaway!
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
i think we’d like metaphors and similes
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I’m teaching ecology to my classroom right now, so I think understanding ecosystems would be great!
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Whoa, making a relationship explicit looks intriguing. So does, 3 steps of perspective taking. These tutorials are great. Nothing like step by step with audio and video!
sjmanley(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
This product is GREAT! My son needs the most help with Conceptual Learning so we would try that first. Thank you for the contest!
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 pm
What a wonderful concept! I like the “Understanding Ecosystems” idea.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Artful Blessings,
Kathryn
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:29 am
All about the ecosystems. I this this product looks amazing and we could really use it as part of our homeschooling curriculum!!
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:56 am
I would love to win these for my kids. We would use them first for multiplication and division.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 am
I’d like to try the Enduring Ideas: Sense of Place
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:23 am
the multiplying and dividing would be great for the grandkids.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:44 am
I can see my kids taking to it immediately too. But I am not sure they woud continue to play with it. And $80 is alot for a toy!! I found Ecosytems interesting.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 am
My boys could really use the Multiplying, Dividing, and Factoring Units. I love educational toys. Thanks for the chance.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:58 am
I love the Understanding Ecosystems one!
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 am
I work as a speech-language pathologist in a K-5 Elementary School, so if I won, I’d take these to work with me. I would definitely use them with dry erase markers as the tutorial suggested to teach metaphors and similies and build analagies. I could also totally see myself using them to teach children sentence structure, with the big blocks being nouns and verbs and the little blocks being smaller words (like a helping verb “is”) or morphemes (like the past tense marker -ed).
Awesome product!
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:06 am
ecosystems
THANK YOU GOD BLESS
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:11 am
I like the Multiple Perspectives. I would love to try it out.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 am
“Deconstructing Distinctions: Sex and Gender” is very interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
I love the “Understanding Ecosystems”. Brilliant.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 am
The number line looks cool.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
The one I would try first would be, One Problem…Multiple Perspectives. Looks like a neat idea!
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 am
contextual matters. Thanks for the contest.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:07 am
I would love it for the math concepts! My daughter cannot ask me for help so this would help! Thanks!
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the chance.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:16 am
I like Understanding Ecosystems and Perspective on Art. This looks really cool!
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 am
I am intrigued by the conceptual learning and the one problem… multiple perspectives tutorials. What a great product.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
I’d like to try Enduring Ideas: Sense of Place. These are great!
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 am
Us and Them - that looks great!
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
I like both the Conceptual Learning theme and the One Problem… Multiple Perspectives theme. These look like an amazing product use to help your children process and understand as they learn critical thinking.
Thanks for a brilliant giveaway!
Marissa
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Making a Relationship Explicit
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I love the Number Line tutorial- what a great idea.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
This is perfect for my daughter because we’re learning about some of things right now! I opened up a few and these are the ones that I’d like to try first: “Distinction: Context Matters” and “Understanding Ecosystems.”
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I’m a babysitter and a tutor, and I think this would be a great toy to take along. I’d probably try the “Number Line” activity first.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units for my granddaughter.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I like the perspectives on Art
April 4th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I’d try these two:
Metaphors and Similes
Multiplying, Dividing, and Factoring Units
April 4th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Perspectives on Art
April 4th, 2008 at 11:02 am
You’ve been blogged
http://threedifferentdirections.blogspot.com/2008/04/thinkblocks.html
April 4th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units
April 4th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I would try One Problem…Multiple Perspectives
April 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I think the persepctives on art one
April 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
metapahors and similies or anything math related
April 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
The understanding ecosystems was cool, as was the perspectives on art. Great giveaway! Count me in. bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com
Bebemiqui’s last blog post..Ugh!
April 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I have looked at these before and they are amazing. Hard to choose but probably Understanding Ecosystems.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I have loved these block since I have seen them on your site and another! My son is very good with Legos and such things. I like the tutorial on the “Art
Perspectives!” You put a painting, sculpture in the center and then blocks around the image that say line, feel, see, etc. Then ask what lines they see, what feelings they have, about the image. Please enter me in your wonderful drawing…..Thanks,Cindi
April 4th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Wow - these are fascinating! I was intrigued by the “multiple perspectives” and “ecosystems” activities. What a neat way to think about thinking!
beezerly (at) yahoo (dot) com
April 4th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
the One Problem would be my choice.
April 5th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Perspectives for block!
April 5th, 2008 at 7:06 am
I love “Making a Relationship Explicit” with the Mom and Dad example.
April 5th, 2008 at 9:45 am
[...] The Opinionated Parent Thinkblocks giveaway [...]
April 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Nice toy!
I blogged about your giveaway on A Contest Blog at http://acontestblog.com/index.php/2008/the-opinionated-parent-thinkblocks-giveaway/
Good luck.
April 5th, 2008 at 11:01 am
So many great lessons! I’d go for the multiplying, dividing and factoring one.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units is one activity but they are all worth a try.
April 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
enter me
April 5th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Multipliying, Dividing and Factoring as that has always challenged me.. I donno how I will help Connor with it hoenstly.
I blogged your contest to Prize-A-Tron!
http://www.prizeatron.com
April 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
[...] The Opinionated Parent is giving away some Think Blocks, a toy that teaches [...]
April 5th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I would use the number line.
April 5th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I blogged about your contest here:
http://www.theopinionatedparent.com/2008/04/02/thinkblocks-the-toy-that-teaches-thinking/
April 5th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Number 3 looked pretty cool. Thanks!
April 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
anything with numbers would be great for my grandkids. these are super.
April 5th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
wow! the perspectives on art sounds very interesting and unique!
April 5th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I like Perspectives on art
April 5th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
the Us and Them activity sounds really great, there are a lot of unique activities on the site that would help children learn about different ideas.
April 5th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I think perspectives on art is a great place to start. What a great toy!
April 6th, 2008 at 2:25 am
What a great product. I would like to try Understanding Ecosystems for my 4 year old. I am sure she will love it!
grace’s last blog post..The Go-Giver
April 6th, 2008 at 5:55 am
I can’t wait to try the ecosystem activity.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:39 am
What a great product! My daughter could learn quite a bit from these. I think the “multiplying, dividing and factoring units” activity would teach her a lot of great math skills.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I like perspective taking!
April 6th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Probably the Perspective Talking. thanks for this contest.
April 6th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Understanding ecosystems would be fun to try.
April 6th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Very cool. I like Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units
April 6th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Perspectives On Art
April 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I would like the Organizing Systems to begin with.
It was a hard choice!
Thanks so much!
April 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I think the Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units would be great! Thanks for the chance to win!
Brandy’s last blog post..Haircut season
April 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
The number line is a wonderful math teaching tool. I would love to give this to my niece.
April 6th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
This is great! Id use the “Understanding ecosystems”
April 6th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I wish we’d had these when I was in school! I have teens and the “Us vs. Them” suggestion is wonderful; so is “Sex vs. Gender.” In addition, I know I could use it as a great tool when making “Pro & Con” arguments. Whiteboard, reflective, magnetic, tactile…what a great tool. I am impressed.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Understandng the Ecosystem looks great
Chrysa Duran’s last blog post..Get a FREE Reusable Shopping Bag Tote from Earthbound Farm
April 7th, 2008 at 4:28 am
As a homeschooling mom, a lot of the activities look great to use with my children. I think we’d enjoy metaphors & similes…and multiplying, dividing and factoring units right now.
April 7th, 2008 at 4:56 am
Understanding Ecosystems
Thank You for a GREAT Contest…
April 7th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units, for sure. Once you master the basics of those, math is a breeze.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:17 am
I liked the One Problem…Multiple Perspectives and Perspectives On Art.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:21 am
I would try the Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring units and the Understanding ecosystems unit.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Understanding Ecosystems is something that my children would be very interested in.
April 7th, 2008 at 6:18 am
a wonderful teaching tool. Probably the Perspective Talking
April 7th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Perspectives on Art; Its the love I would love. Best of luck to all who enter
April 7th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Definitely PERSPECTIVES ON ART. We could do this with the whole family! I LOVE this!!!! Please randomly pick me!!!!
April 7th, 2008 at 7:11 am
the one on art or the ecosystems one would be great.
April 7th, 2008 at 7:12 am
the perspective thinking looks very interesting
April 7th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Understanding Ecosystems is the one that interests me the most.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I signed up for the RSS feed too.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:05 am
I think the conceptual learning one is pretty interesting. I might be likely to play with these too!
Thanks!
April 7th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I liked the multiplication and division one. All such great ideas!
April 7th, 2008 at 9:05 am
This is a great product/learning tool. My son could benefit from playing with them I’m sure.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I like Multiplying, Dividing, and Factoring Units the best. Thank you!
April 7th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I liked the Conceptual Learning. I have four kids that could benefit from something like this!
April 7th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I like the “Multiplying, Dividing and Factoring Units”.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I’d like to try perspectives on art first. My grandchildren would love this!
April 7th, 2008 at 11:06 am
My younger daughter is very interested in animals and biology in general. I’d like to see her try Understanding Ecosystems first. ThinkBlocks is a fantastic concept!
April 7th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I like everything, but similes are my favorite!
April 7th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I would start with the organizing systems because it would give the child a great perspective on the blocks as a starting point. I also really liked the controllable factors and can see how that could help my 5 year old.
April 7th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Understanding Ecosystems sounds like the one that most interests me!