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    You are here: Home / Learning Activities / Math Activities for Kids / Kaleidograph Design Toy

     

    Kaleidograph Design Toy

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    The boys and I have a particular penchant for math art. We love making tessellations, playing with shapes and even turn treats into fractions. It goes without saying that a toy that explores math and art simultaneously is one we will love. This Kaleidograph design toy is a clever way to explore shapes, geometry and relative size in a clever, snazzy fashion.

    Kaleidograph design toy for math art play.

    {Note: affiliate links included below that earn commission from qualifying purchases.}

    Red Hen sent us Kaleidograph sets to play around with. My 9 year old was the first to try it out. (Actually, that's not quite true since, when it arrived, I immediately opened it and could not resist playing with the designs on my own.)

    Each Kaleidograph set includes a stack of die cut cards in different geometric shapes and colors. There are 4 different sets, 2 in color, and 2 in black and white. According the the package you can make "billions" of different designs. We did not test out that theory but you can certainly make a lot!

    Kaleidograph design toy encourages creativity

    He really like trying to make some of the Kaleidograph designs that came with the enclosed fold out. If you've been following this blog over the years (thank you loyal readers!) you know my older son's brain loves structure. He enjoyed the "figure-it-out-part" of making the designs. He told me some of them were "really challenging but fun."

    Kaleidograph design cards for kids

    My 5 year old was more free-handed with the design cards, mixing them up willy-nilly. He was completely uninterested in trying to make the designs on the "map", but still created some awesome math art designs.

    Kaleidograph design toy for building creativity and making math art.

    While he worked, he started chatting to me about how some shapes were bigger and that affected how he stacked them. I love how the simple play was helping reinforce concepts that are important for a strong math foundation.

    Kaleidograph Op Art design toy

    It's a nice toy to have around to fill up those small empty moments of time. I've taken to leaving the Kaleidograph on the table and the boys wander over to it and start fiddling around with it when they are waiting for something else to happen.

    Watch a video of the Kaleidograph in action:

    Disclosure: Red Hen sent us Kaleidograph toys for review purposes. Long time readers know I only (and rarely) accept merchandise for consideration if I truly love the product and think you will, too.

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    « Handwriting Practice with Alphabet Cards
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    181 shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Johanna says

      May 28, 2014 at 6:02 am

      This is great! Thanks, Erica.

      Reply
    2. Karen Finch says

      May 28, 2014 at 6:56 am

      The best "toys" sneak in clever, cool creativity. Thanks for sharing, Erica!

      Reply
    3. Melia says

      May 28, 2014 at 7:41 am

      My 6 year old son is numbers and statistics obsessed. He would love this! Thanks for the great ideas!

      Reply
    4. Erin says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:14 am

      Super cool! My daughter would love this!

      Reply
    5. Marci says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:09 am

      My son would love this!!! (And so would I!)

      Reply
    6. Stacey says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:57 am

      I loved Spirograph as a kid, and think my girls (and I!) could spend a lot of time with this!

      Reply
    7. Kelly says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:59 am

      My kids would love this! I bet it would be great for long boredom filled summer days.

      Reply
    8. --anu says

      May 28, 2014 at 12:34 pm

      I think it is lovely how you call it math art 🙂
      If my daughter had one of these, I think within an hour she would be cutting additional pieces to make even more designs (not because there aren't enough, that is just who she is).

      Reply
    9. Lynette Larkins says

      May 28, 2014 at 12:44 pm

      Fabulous idea. I love the non-electronic nature of it too. Perfect for my math girls, ages 7 & 9.

      Reply
    10. Jessica @ Play Trains! says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      These are so cool! I played with one at a toy store once when my son was a baby...so cool. I'd love to share it with him now that he could play with it himself.

      Reply
    11. Alison says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:48 pm

      Wow, I love these! They would be great to use in my classroom as well as at home. I could see using them in a math center, art activity or during indoor recess.

      Reply
    12. Jemma Aitken says

      May 28, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      These look super fun! I think all 3 of my kids would enjoy these on different levels.

      Reply
    13. Carolyn says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      This looks AWESOME!! Great find. 🙂

      Reply
    14. Thayer says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:39 pm

      How cool!

      Reply
    15. Corrie says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:47 pm

      So cool! It looks like a great toy!

      Reply
    16. Even in Australia says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      This looks great!

      Reply
    17. jaime says

      May 28, 2014 at 9:21 pm

      What a fun toy!

      Reply
    18. Mary Catherine says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:05 pm

      Wow, those are so cool! I'd be like you and get into them first, but my son would adore these. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
    19. Anne says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      Love! Reminds me of a Spirograph for some reason!!

      Reply
    20. Tanya Rubezhov says

      May 29, 2014 at 12:38 am

      I LOVE it!!! I know my kids would absolutely love it, too.
      Thank you so much for the giveaway and for sharing about such great and fun tool.

      Reply
    21. Kirstin says

      May 29, 2014 at 12:59 am

      Looks like fun! I know my daughter would enjoy it!

      Reply
    22. Baiba says

      May 29, 2014 at 2:27 am

      This looks sooo great 🙂 My daughter is opposit of your boys - she adores art, and I try to "push her" towards mathematics. This is exactly that we need!!!

      Reply
    23. Carolynn says

      May 29, 2014 at 1:50 pm

      what a fun toy! great find!

      Reply
    24. Brandy Fisk says

      May 29, 2014 at 1:59 pm

      It looks like something that my sons and daycare kids would have fun with!

      Reply
    25. Bethany Winston says

      May 29, 2014 at 2:00 pm

      My kids love toys like this. Thanks for the giveaway!

      Reply
    26. RK says

      May 29, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      This is really neat. My 4 year old would love this.

      Reply
    27. MaryAnne says

      May 29, 2014 at 2:18 pm

      My kids love this toy!

      Reply
    28. Veronica Vigloria says

      May 29, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      This looks great. Thanks!

      Reply
    29. Anitha Kuppuswamy says

      May 29, 2014 at 4:35 pm

      Awesome!!!

      Reply
    30. andrea v says

      May 29, 2014 at 4:45 pm

      I think this is great and something different (:

      Reply
    31. mysillylittlelife says

      May 29, 2014 at 4:49 pm

      Love this! And thank you for all the hard work you put into this blog.

      Reply
    32. Aaren says

      May 29, 2014 at 5:00 pm

      Wow! This looks so cool!

      Reply
      • Lisa Hollinger Barto says

        May 31, 2014 at 1:12 am

        my seven year old would love these!

        Reply
    33. Nancy says

      May 29, 2014 at 5:59 pm

      I think this looks like a great learning set. There are so many variations that it could be used for a long period of time - probably years. This would be great for quiet time learning or for use while traveling in a car or on a plane!

      Reply
    34. Stephanie Byers says

      May 29, 2014 at 6:36 pm

      Whoa, that is a cool looking toy. I think my 4 year old daughter would get a kick out of it.

      Reply
    35. Julie Lee says

      May 29, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      This looks great. I'm always looking for activities that make the kids think!

      Reply
    36. Debbie Lewis says

      May 29, 2014 at 7:17 pm

      My grandkids would love this and so would I !!!!

      Reply
    37. Valerie V says

      May 29, 2014 at 7:45 pm

      WOW! This looks like endless fun! I think I'd like to play with it myself! Thanks for offering this!

      Reply
    38. Amy @ Sunlit Pages says

      May 29, 2014 at 8:10 pm

      This looks like fun! It could be just the thing we need this summer!

      Reply
    39. Rochel S says

      May 30, 2014 at 12:28 am

      It looks really cool! My kids would really enjoy this!

      Reply
    40. Michelle Sterling says

      May 30, 2014 at 1:44 am

      What a great toy/tool!

      Reply
    41. Marija says

      May 30, 2014 at 8:06 am

      Love it! It's a toy that I'd like to play with as well.

      Reply
    42. Nichole says

      May 30, 2014 at 9:39 am

      These have been on my Amazon wish list for some time...

      Reply
    43. Sofia says

      May 30, 2014 at 1:59 pm

      Love the simplicity behind this toy. At the same time, the amount of imagination/creativity put into this is amazing. Definitely a toy that would keep both my boy entertained for hours!

      Reply
    44. Kristen Creese says

      May 30, 2014 at 6:01 pm

      My kids would LOVE this and it might help with the summer boredom and the summer slide 🙂

      Reply
    45. Terri Moore says

      May 30, 2014 at 8:19 pm

      I think this is a great idea for a toy! I would have fun playing with making different designs with it too. I think everyone would have a hard time not picking it up and trying it out.

      Reply
    46. Lilith Katz says

      May 30, 2014 at 10:31 pm

      This looks really cool for kids, or adults 🙂

      Reply
    47. heather says

      May 30, 2014 at 10:49 pm

      I would love to win this one these look awesome.

      Reply
    48. KHBride says

      May 31, 2014 at 1:03 am

      What a great idea! I'd have loved these as a kid (and love them now)!

      Reply
    49. Merrilee Willoughby says

      May 31, 2014 at 1:05 am

      Awesome! My little would love this!

      Reply
    50. Amanda says

      May 31, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      That's pretty cool. My niece would love these!

      Reply
    51. Wendy Pesce says

      May 31, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      I think my little boy would love these

      Reply
    52. amber whitehead says

      May 31, 2014 at 8:09 pm

      So fun I think both my son and the preschoolers I work with would love this for an art activity.

      Reply
    53. Crystal Gibson says

      May 31, 2014 at 11:10 pm

      I think this would be an amazing addition to our home, not only for a sensory side of things, but also with learning shapes, colors, learning how to create new shapes, so many different things... I love this idea, its simply amazing!

      Reply
    54. Sunnie says

      May 31, 2014 at 11:21 pm

      I think this is sweet! Id love to win this for my girls for homeschooling and just plain fun!

      Reply
    55. Melissa L. says

      May 31, 2014 at 11:49 pm

      I think the kids would love these! I love that there are so many designs to make.

      Reply
    56. Samantha Baker says

      June 01, 2014 at 6:31 am

      I think this is great! Fun and cool

      Reply
    57. Kristine says

      June 01, 2014 at 9:20 am

      Very cool! Love pattern making. Son would love stacking these to change the look of the patterns.

      Reply
    58. Jamie G says

      June 01, 2014 at 4:54 pm

      This looks like something my daughter would play with for hours she loves theses different kinds of toys.

      Reply
    59. Jessica P says

      June 01, 2014 at 10:39 pm

      I think this is a really neat and unique idea! jessicapeeling@yahoo.com

      Reply
    60. Vikki Billings says

      June 02, 2014 at 12:44 am

      I think they are so cool and I know that my nieces and I could make some really cool art pieces with them!

      Reply
    61. Becky VanGinkel says

      June 02, 2014 at 1:25 am

      I think that my 10 year old son and our 4 year old daughter would like to compete to see who can make the coolest designs with these 🙂 Thanks for the chance!!

      babydjs_mom@yahoo.com

      Reply
    62. Dianna Thomas says

      June 02, 2014 at 1:32 am

      These are interesting and I can see how the patterns and ideas come together

      Reply
    63. cassandra says

      June 02, 2014 at 1:40 am

      This seems like a great hands on toy.

      Reply
    64. Betty Canterbury says

      June 02, 2014 at 2:30 am

      i think this is kool and my boys would love it

      Reply
    65. gayle gildehaus says

      June 02, 2014 at 9:41 am

      i love artsy toys.My kids would like these.

      Reply
    66. Saver Sara says

      June 02, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      I love this. This is such a creative idea and so much fun.

      Reply
    67. Jenn S says

      June 02, 2014 at 2:49 pm

      ooh, this looks really fun!

      Reply
    68. Rachel C says

      June 02, 2014 at 4:29 pm

      My kids would love this too! The popular things at Christmas this year were the spirograph and the string spirograph, so I'm sure this would be fun too.

      Reply
    69. Mel says

      June 02, 2014 at 6:00 pm

      My kids would have a blast.

      Reply
    70. Brandi R. Gates says

      June 02, 2014 at 6:27 pm

      This looks like fun

      Reply
    71. Shana Elliott says

      June 02, 2014 at 6:32 pm

      This looks really cool! My 9 year old daughter loves arts and crafts!

      Reply
    72. Dorothy Teel says

      June 02, 2014 at 8:30 pm

      I think that this is great looks like a lot of fun for this mi Maw here to share with her grand daughters,

      Reply
    73. megan tilley says

      June 02, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      I am having my first child in august and I love these things like this where you can learn and play at the same time

      Reply
    74. tracy webb says

      June 02, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Looks like fun, kids will love. I would like to try using for X-Mas gifts.

      Reply
    75. Melissa Cunningham says

      June 02, 2014 at 9:30 pm

      Seems cool and entertaining

      Reply
    76. Emi says

      June 02, 2014 at 11:16 pm

      I think that my 4 year olds would like these and I can sneak in some lessons about shapes too.

      Reply
    77. Jen S says

      June 02, 2014 at 11:25 pm

      This looks great! My boys and I would love this 🙂

      Reply
    78. yarnaddicted says

      June 02, 2014 at 11:28 pm

      Love this - looks like fun and educational too!
      Kim Reid

      Reply
    79. sara giresi says

      June 02, 2014 at 11:46 pm

      I love toys that invite creative thinking!

      Reply
    80. Diana Hunsberger says

      June 03, 2014 at 12:28 am

      What a wonderful way to play with shapes!

      Reply
    81. Karla says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:18 am

      Very Fun!

      Reply
    82. Noreen says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:22 am

      These look like so much fun

      Reply
    83. angelasaver says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:34 am

      I think this looks like a whole lot of fun! The kids would have a blast with it!

      andysavi.mom@gmail.com

      Reply
    84. brittany riley says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:44 am

      this seems like a fun toy that can be played for hours

      Reply
    85. Diana Hatch says

      June 03, 2014 at 9:04 am

      I think this would be so fun for my granddaughters

      Reply
    86. Debby Chandler says

      June 03, 2014 at 10:27 am

      I like it. I think it would keep kids busy for a long time.

      Reply
    87. Shannon Anderson says

      June 03, 2014 at 11:30 am

      I like how they can use their imagination to try out the different cards to make the designs. Nice for all ages to use too. Would even work, I think, for sewing too.

      Reply
    88. jeremy mclaughlin says

      June 03, 2014 at 12:27 pm

      This looks fun.

      Reply
    89. Paige says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:40 pm

      At this point, I'm interested in anything that is not TV or video games or having to schlep us all to the pool...but this does look super fun!

      Reply
    90. amanda whiltey says

      June 03, 2014 at 1:50 pm

      i think its neat and my daughter would have fun making art with it.

      Reply
    91. Allison says

      June 03, 2014 at 2:20 pm

      very interesting and enhances creativity!

      Reply
    92. Emily D. says

      June 03, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      I think it's interesting. My older nephew, who is 4, would probably really enjoy this.

      Reply
    93. Debbie R. says

      June 03, 2014 at 4:03 pm

      We are kaleidoscope lovers in this house. What a cool toy to explore with!!!

      Reply
    94. leslie roberts says

      June 03, 2014 at 4:04 pm

      what a kewl idea, my granddaughter loves doing some form of arts and crafts

      Reply
    95. Mandy says

      June 03, 2014 at 4:06 pm

      My daughter would have so much fun with this!

      Reply
    96. Patti says

      June 03, 2014 at 4:20 pm

      What a great idea to keep kids learning and maintaining their math skills. Love it and I love this site.

      Reply
    97. christy colln says

      June 03, 2014 at 4:43 pm

      I think that my son would love this and my new son on the way will love it as well..it is very cool!

      Reply
    98. Rachel Coleman says

      June 03, 2014 at 5:29 pm

      I love this! It would be great for my daughter this summer to have fun with.

      Reply
    99. Kate Benson says

      June 03, 2014 at 6:40 pm

      I haven't seen anything like that, my little one is getting into making geometric shapes so this would be great. Thanks for the interesting post.

      Reply
    100. Candie L says

      June 03, 2014 at 7:04 pm

      I would definatley use this in my math class. Thank you

      Reply
    101. RunningAmy (@GoForARunNow) says

      June 03, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      My boys would LOVE this. How cool!!

      Reply
    102. Trish says

      June 03, 2014 at 8:32 pm

      This is such a fun, creative and educational toy!!

      Reply
    103. Jennifer Shelton says

      June 03, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      I love this! My son would love it also!

      Reply
    104. Jenny Stanek says

      June 03, 2014 at 10:49 pm

      I think this is so cool, very unique!

      Reply
    105. Nichole says

      June 03, 2014 at 11:01 pm

      Nice! These are the types of things I love to use with my children.

      Reply
    106. Sue Hull says

      June 03, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      I buy design coloring books and they arent cheap. I think this set is awesome. I could make my own designs for my nieces and I to color. These look like hours of fun. Thank you for the great giveaway 🙂

      Reply

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