Meet Your Match with Memory Puzzles: Shapes

Are you a new braille reader, interested in learning about shapes, or a puzzle fan looking to put your skills to the test? Designed for ages 3 and up, Memory Puzzles: Shapes is a new tactile braille matching game perfect for individuals who are blind, low vision, or who have typical sight.

To play, remove the puzzle’s 52 components from the included durable carrying pouch and place them on a table, desk, or on APH’s Trifold Board. The pieces are flat and consist of the shape’s name in braille and raised print, the raised tactile shape, and grooves on one side so it can connect to its partner piece. A wavy orange line in the center and a square orange braille indicator in one of the upper corners also helps users orient the piece and attach each pair. When the game is done, users will have 26 sets of shapes ranging from a circle, square, and triangle to more complicated figures, such as an octagon, hexagon, or polygon, among others. If the puzzle gets dirty, the pieces can be soaked in soapy water or mild bleach wash and left on a towel to air dry.

Memory Puzzles: Shapes helps young learners develop their braille literacy, tactile learning, gross motor, matching, and problem-solving skills all while memorizing what each shape looks like. Older students benefit as they utilize these shapes in geometry class and develop their spatial reasoning abilities. Adults in rehabilitation settings new to braille strengthen their skills as they play an engaging game.

Memory Puzzles: Shapes was a joy for APH Product Specialist Bobby Fulwiler to bring to life alongside Philip Einsohn, owner of The Puzzled Co. “Philip is a former kindergarten teacher. He’s very witty, young at heart, and extremely passionate about education,” Bobby said. As a former educator himself, Bobby quickly joined Philip in his dream to create an entertaining learning tool.

Developed with inclusivity in mind, The Puzzled Co. uses Waterjet cutting and tactile printing to make Puzzles for EveryBody™. Each product is manufactured in-house by Waterjet Works, a family-run, Dallas-based, parent company. APH is proud to work with a vendor dedicated to leveling the playing field for all.

Teachers and students provided positive feedback about Memory Puzzles: Shapes. One educator said, “My children loved how they could problem-solve and identify shapes on their own.” Another agreed, saying, “The student loves recognizing braille on a material the student is accessing. ‘There’s braille!’ was expressed with each piece.” A third mentioned how their student enjoyed the matching game. They said, “[My student] is very competitive, and he loved the memory part of the game. He likes to challenge himself, so he always wanted a full desk of puzzle pieces (4 rows and 4 columns) as the game set up. He especially liked the colorful shapes, as this student is very low vision, and the contrast was extremely helpful for him.”

Purchase Memory Puzzles: Shapes today and check out the included list of suggested activities for more ways to play