Relax with STEM Article by Tina Manzer, Editorial Director of EdPlay Magazine: Stress-reducing fidget toys, STEM, and Fractiles
Will the Real STEM Toys Please Stand Up Article by Mark Carson, President and Co-Founder of Fat Brain Toys. Fractiles is at the top of the list of Carson's favorite toys "contributing to STEM-related pursuits."
Fractiles-7 helps young minds learn about symmetry
while making butterflies, snowflakes and optical illusions
News
Release
Contact:
Beverly Johnson
For Immediate
Release
Phone: 303.541.0930
Email:
BOULDER, CO – (Oct, 1, 2007)–
This holiday season, concerned parents, grandparents,
aunts and uncles are seeking gifts for the children
in their lives that are made under strict manufacturing
practices in United States facilities, and Fractiles-7
fills the bill. A geometric, open-ended puzzle,
Fractiles-7 is an addicting toy that provides hours
of fun for people aged six to adult. The product
is available nationwide at select independent toy
stores, museum gift shops, bookstores, art supply
stores and specialty catalogs as well as online
at www.fractiles.com.
Fractiles-7, winner of a Parent’s Choice Foundation
Award, is a unique design system of red, yellow
and blue diamond-shaped magnetic tiles with angles
based on the number seven. Fractiles-7 is available
in three editions. The Large Edition, with a 12-inch
steel playing board and 192 magnetic tiles is $41.95.
The Travel Edition (perfect for quiet car and plane
trips), with an eight-inch steel board and 96 tiles
is $23.95. Fridge Fractiles, with 48 tiles and no
board, is $10.95. The Large and Travel Editions come
in an album-style storage folder with color illustrations
of some of the possible designs people can follow,
or they may create their own designs.
“Fractiles” is a combination of the
word "fractals," meaning the phenomenon
of scaling or the repeating of a pattern on every
scale, and "tiles." Beverly Johnson, president
of Fractiles, Inc., and a geometry fan, says that
playing with Fractiles-7 stimulates creativity and
thinking skills. The toy has captivated fans of
all ages since it was introduced nine years ago.
“Many elementary schools are using Fractiles-7
to help students enjoy learning symmetry and geometry,”
said Johnson. “It presents an open-ended puzzle
with an infinite number of solutions, thus there
is no wrong way to play with Fractiles. It also
helps develop fine motor, problem-solving and pattern
recognition skills, which are essential to learning
math, reading and writing. Teachers tell us their
students are having so much fun playing with Fractiles-7
that they don’t even realize how much they
are learning!”
Adults enjoy the “mental break” that
Fractiles-7 offers. Stepping away from the computer
for just a few minutes to create a new design may
activate a different part of the brain, allowing
for a brief moment of relaxation, stimulation or
creativity.
Fractiles-7 is manufactured in Colorado and Minnesota
and has been tested by a third party, certified
laboratory to ensure that it meets the American
Society for Testing and Materials’ standards
for toy safety, which is recognized by the toy industry
and governmental agencies as the defining standard
for toy safety. Adherence to this standard means
that Fractiles, Inc. does not use materials or designs
that may be harmful to children. Additionally, by
manufacturing only in the United States, Fractiles,
Inc. guarantees that it employs fair labor practices
and is environmentally responsible.
Regarding the recent recalls of tainted toys made
in China, Ms. Johnson said, “This disturbing
outcome offers us a unique opportunity to look more
deeply at the other costs of manufacturing overseas
– the lost American jobs, the unchecked environmental
impact and perhaps dubious labor conditions. I hope
to see many toy companies take a leadership role
in migrating their manufacturing back to the United
States.”
About Fractiles, Inc.
Fractiles, Inc. is a Colorado Corporation formed
in 1998 by Marc Pelletier and Beverly Johnson of
Boulder, Colo. The founders’ mission in developing
Fractiles-7 is to help bring the beauty of geometry
into the mainstream. Please visit http://www.fractiles.com/
for more information, including a comprehensive
list of retail stores and catalogs that carry Fractiles-7,
and visit www.fractiles.com/pubs for downloadable product images.
