Tessellation Puzzles
Tessellation puzzles combine art and math to stimulate creativity. Most of them are simple enough for five-year olds,
but can also challenge older kids and the brainiest adults. All of our puzzles have many different solutions, allowing them to be used over and over again. Most of our puzzles are made from EVA foam, a quiet, durable, and washable material. "Magnetic foam" is EVA foam with magnetic backing, a Tessellations innovation that holds the pieces in place on magnet-receptive surfaces.
In the Ocean
Three things found in the ocean -- squids, sea turtles, and rays -- in blue, sea green, and purple. Every piece fits every
other piece for an ocean of possibilities! Color instructions show over a dozen different tessellations that can be formed with the set. Activity sheets and worksheets that accompany the Classroom Pack cover different types of symmetry found in tessellations, and also characterizing and classifying tessellations using their vertices. Ages 6 and up.
"My nephew Ben is a super smart 5 year old who learned about symmetry from this puzzle."
- Pamela Windham, Math Instructor
Standard Pack - Item 1641, 90 pieces plus color instructions.
Suggested retail price: $19.95
Classroom Pack - Item 1643, 225 pieces plus color instructions and classroom activities with worksheets. Suggested retail price: $44.95
In the Garden
Form colorful patterns full of arcs of circles with our most popular puzzle! Contains butterflies, ladybugs, caterpillars, flowers, and single and triple leaves. Ages 6 and up.
"I got a copy of In the Garden for myself when it first came out, and I have enjoyed rearranging it often over these several years! I keep it on a magnetic board in my utility area as an enjoyable piece of art!"
- Rosemary Schoolfield, Dallas, Texas
Standard Pack - Item 275, 77 pieces plus color instructions.
Suggested retail price: $19.95
Magnet Pack - Item 504K, 97 magnetic pieces plus color instructions and classroom lessons. Suggested retail price: $29.95 (Unlike our other magnetic puzzles, the pieces are printed paper on foam on magnet backing.)
Classroom Pack - Item 277, 231 pieces plus color instructions and classroom lessons. Suggested retail price: $44.95
Tessel-8
This geometric puzzle featuring octagons and octagrams (8-pointed stars) was inspired by Islamic art. The octagram and cross tessellation has been used architecturally since at least the 13th Century. The puzzle also contains squares and rhombi. Edges lengths are 1", making the pieces compatible with Tessel-Gons and Tessel-Gon Stars. Ages 6 and up.
Item 1741, Contains 160 magnetic foam pieces plus color instructions. Suggested retail price: $39.95
Kites & Darts
These shapes, also known as
Penrose tiles after their inventor,
are favorites of mathematicians.
If the matching rules are followed, the tiles only form tessellations that are non-repeating.
Among the many intriguing properties
of these tiles is the way in which the
Golden Ratio crops up over and
over again. Ages 8 and up.
Magnet Pack - Item 288, 105 pieces, in blue, yellow, and purple.
Suggested retail price: $24.95
Tessel-Gons
A geometric puzzle containing
equilateral triangles, squares,
hexagons, octagons, and
dodecagons. These regular
polygons are great for teaching
tessellations and geometry concepts. Ages 6 and up.
Standard Pack - Item 134, 120 pieces. Suggested retail price: $17.95
Classroom Pack - Item 136, 340 pieces. Suggested retail price: $29.95
The Classroom Pack includes a lesson guide.
Tessel-Gon Stars
Contains star polygons with
three, four, six, eight, and twelve
points, plus equilateral triangles and
squares. This set forms a variety of
beautiful and fascinating tessellations,
and when used in conjunction with
Tessel-Gons, leads to even more
possibilities. Both sets have 1" edges
for compatibility with Pattern Blocks. Ages 6 and up.
Standard Pack - Item 137, 120 pieces. Suggested retail price: $17.95
Classroom Pack - Item 139, 340 pieces. Suggested retail price: $29.95
The Classroom Pack includes a lesson guide.
HexaPlex
HexaPlex is an innovative combination of two branches of mathematics with tremendous visual appeal, fractals and tessellations. HexaPlex is not only the world's first fractal tessellation puzzle, but the world's first true fractal puzzle of any sort (excepting computer software). The puzzle consists of five different sizes of the same shape that can be assembled in dozens of different ways. HexaPlex contains 12 pages of instructions with brain teasers and worksheets. Ages 8 to adult.
Item 951. Over 270 magnetic foam pieces.
Suggested retail price: $39.95
PentaMania
Is there a pent-up PentaManiac in you? Find out as you arrange and rearrange 56 colorful "folded pentagons" into literally hundreds of provocative patterns. Ages 4 to adult.
Item 801. 56 magnetic foam pieces.
Suggested retail price: $11.95
Solutions to the brain teasers in the instructions.
TriangleMania
Guaranteed to unleash the triangle maniac in you! Three sizes of colorful equilateral triangles, 72 in all, form hundreds of tantalizing patterns. Ages 4 to adult.
Item 802. 72 magnetic foam pieces.
Suggested retail price: $11.95
Solutions to the brain teasers in the instructions.
TetraMania
Be warned: TetraMania can strike at any time! They look simple enough. Five shapes made up of four squares that can be arranged and rearranged to form hundreds of tempting patterns. Ages 4 to adult.
Item 803. 60 magnetic foam pieces.
Suggested retail price: $11.95
Solutions to the brain teasers in the instructions.
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