Benefit of Tangrams
Tangram improves the development of skills such as visual intelligence and problem-solving in individuals.
While the benefits of tangram puzzles can be seen in people of varies age, they are most beneficial to kids:
- Problem-solving: Tangram puzzles require players to think creatively in order to manipulate the pieces to fit the pattern or design.
- Logical thinking: Tangrams challenge players to think logically and systematically in order to determine the best way to fit the pieces together.
- Creativity: Tangrams offer an open-ended puzzle, allowing for multiple solutions and encouraging creativity.
- Spatial relationships: Tangram puzzles require players to manipulate the pieces to fit together and create a design, which can help players understand the relationships between shapes and how they can be arranged in space. This can improve spatial reasoning and help players understand how shapes can fit together to create more complex designs.
- Fine motor skills: Tangram puzzles require players to manipulate small pieces, which can help to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Visualizing shapes: Tangram puzzles require players to visualize the shapes in their minds and manipulate them to fit together, which can help players improve their visual thinking and spatial perception skills.
- Stress relief: Tangrams can serve as a form of stress relief, providing a mental distraction, and promote relaxation, mindfulness, and overall well-being.
- Educational tool: Tangrams can be used as an educational tool to teach geometry, fractions, and other math concepts in a fun and engaging way.
- Good for all ages: Tangrams can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
As noted by Zhen Yuan and his colleagues, solving tangram puzzles appears to activate parts of the brain associated with creative thinking and trial-and-error problem-solving (Hu et al 2019).
Make Your Own Tangram Puzzle
Each tangram puzzle contains the following:
- Start with a square piece of paper
- Fold into quarters and then quarters again to to make a square divided into sixteenths
- Unfold the paper
- Draw lines intersecting your folds to match the red lines in the illustration on the right
- Cut out the shapes (very carefully) along the lines. The puzzle will be more accurate the more precisely the pieces are cut.
