Tangram Lessons

Have you ever played with tangrams?

After our lesson yesterday with them, I have found them to be quite challenging but oh so rewarding to work with! So many possiblities!

Our Baby Animals box from Experience Early Learning came with a set of tangrams and the shape cards to help children build animals. I love how this engages math principles of shapes and patterns, engineering principles of building with constraints, and creativity of choice and color.

My girl decided to start with the horse card.

As you can see, she knew she needed a rectangular shape for the horse’s body, so she naturally grabbed a square instead of 2 triangles. This led to a white space that we didn’t have a shape for. She was a little frustrated but tried the next card, a dog.

When it came to placing tangrams for his body, I could see her becoming frustrated again. She could see the rectangle but not the triangles. I placed 3 triangles in front of her and told her she could create his entire body with these 3 triangles. That’s when she began to see.

I quickly adjusted our lesson so that she would be challenged but not get to the frustration point that leads to quitting… which she struggles with. The rabbit card was next, so I placed all the pieces she needed to complete the rabbit next to her.

The big square shape of his body stumped her for just a second; then she began placing shapes and seeing that 2 triangles make a square or rectangle.

I decided I would do go ahead and do the same process for the fish. I told her all she needed was triangles to complete the fish card. I then handed her the fish expecting her to use only triangles, but she blew me away….

I didn’t see that I could have used the parallelogram to make the fish. I could only see triangles. However, a parallelogram is made of 2 triangles as well, and I was reminded of a lesson right along with my daughter….

There are so many ways to see a situation. Just because I see something one way doesn’t mean it is the only way. Her way was just as right as mine. Having perspective, persistence, and patience is what helps us see what is beautiful in and to one another.

Oh, the kindergarten lessons the Lord uses to teach this momma.

So thankful for our Experience Early Learning box that the Lord uses to not only teach my kiddos but also me.