Reviews

Customer Reviews

Wonderful fun with symmetry! Arrange 192 magnetized plastic tiles (in yellow, red, and blue) on a 12-inch square steel activity board and discover just how many patterns and combinations are possible. (You guessed it: a lot!) The clever part is that all three shapes are types of diamonds, and their angles represent six different fractions of 360 degrees. Dozens of clever designs and pictograms are featured on the cardboard carrying case, including “Ribbon Candy,” “Scrambled Mandala,” and “Funky Chicken.” But creating designs is only half the fun; instructions are given for several puzzles and games too, plus an explanation of different kinds of symmetry. Ideal for travel, though the tiles are probably too small for children under 6.
– Richard Farr

Customer Reviews

Toymagnets.com
Best new toy for grownups in ages!

My Review of Fridge Fractiles
Posted 4/18/20 by Nancy K Loeffel
Rating:
I purchased this as a gift for my grandchildren for Easter during the Covid quarantine and their mother reports that they have had alot of fun designing new patterns which has helped keep them occupied… They are 4 and 7. The Fridge Fractiles have endless creative designs, are colorful and promote imagination. They are easy to use on the fridge without damaging the stainless steel appliance. The fact that they are made in the USA was a real factor in my selection.

Fantastic fun!
Posted 2/29/20 by MHNYC
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We got this for our 6 year old and it is really fun for all of us to do together. I hope they make other sets in the future-we would buy them all! It’s fun to copy the patterns or make up your own design.

Still loved after a decade
Posted 2/20/20 -Jill, Adjunct Health Instructor and Math Teacher, NM
“We have the Fractiles Travel version purchased in January 2008 and yes after a decade, the kids still love to play with them all the time in the car. Legos are the only other toy that’s stood that kind of test of time in our family.”

Great way to keep kids entertained
Posted 11/8/19 by jennifer leslie
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My 6 year old loves this and I love it knowing that she’s learning while having fun.

Keep the storage bag!
Posted 4/11/19 Rofox
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Love these, the travel size is great!

Perfect travel toy
Posted 2/18/19
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This toy is providing my 6 year old with many happy hours of fun away from her iPad. Since it’s all magnetic it stays together and we haven’t had to go chasing down parts, like other small part toys.

Be careful, this is a 96 pc kit with metal backer, there is a slightly cheaper fridge version with nearly identical packaging, only 48 pieces and no metal backer. Make sure you are getting the one you want.

Great gift for a child who likes to put things together!
Posted 2/4/2019 Linda N Markle
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I bought this product as a birthday gift to a 7-year old grandson. From the reports I am getting, he LOVES it and so does his Mother!

perfect for creative five year old
Posted 1/27/2019 fawnskin mudpuppy
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the fractiles were a perfect activity for my advanced five year old grandson. he loves design and the pieces were easily manipulated into imaginative forms.
thanks

Great for creative play
Posted 1/20/2019 Cindy Durbin
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Got this for a Christmas gift for a very craft oriented 7 year old granddaughter. She loved it and her 9 year old sister did as well. I love that it is magnetic so the pieces stay in place so no accidental bumps to knock everything out of place. I think it will get used a lot.

Awesome play value
Posted 11/22/2018 by LBG
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This toy has been a favorite such of my nine year old grandaughter, I ordered the refrigerator set to add to the existing set. Because of its play value I ordered still another for my five year old granddaughter hoping she will get years of enjoyment as well.
Being magnetic makes the pieces easy to place and manipulate without the frustration of loose pieces and designs that won’t stay in place.

Creative and Open-Ended
Posted 8/23/18 by Diana
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I cannot agree that Fractiles is too challenging for a 5-year-old. My 5-year-old granddaughter had absolutely no problem assembling the shapes, either creatively nor following the provided designs. Nor did she have difficulty with placing the shapes adjacent to each other. The pieces I had expected to be metal; they are vinyl like promotional magnets one gets in the mail. Yes, the board has heft, and perhaps it could be just a bit lighter, but I like that it is not a piece of junk and lays solid. It is not too heavy for a 5-year-old to deal with, and since it has weight, one handles it differently than if it were a featherweight. If this game is too challenging for the child to whom it is given, then the child will find his or her way to it when ready. It’s good to stretch. In the meantime he or she can place pieces creatively whether they touch or not. It is an advantage that pieces do not slide nor the design become disturbed by bumping or tipping the board. The designs and vivid colors are beautiful and eye-catching. As with any toy, one has to give consideration to the interests of the child. In this case, this was an appropriate choice for interest and ability, and my 5-year-old granddaughter was happy with it as well as my daughter, and I felt gratified. This is an open-ended activity with unlimited possibilities. This essentially could be played with for a lifetime. I put the pieces into two 2.5×2.5″ plastic containers and one 2.5″x4″ that I had had in the house. Altoid boxes would work, too.
Review of Fractiles-7

Great Gift
Posted 3/20/2018
Rating:
My 7 year old granddaughter loves this gift. She loves making new patterns and this keeps her occupied for a long time. She had to share it with the adults though. They love it too!
Review of Fractiles-7

My rating of Fractiles-7
Posted 3/5/2018 by Larry Rossi – GRANDPARENT
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Grandson enjoys building things and puzzles so this one more toy that he enjoys playing with.
Review of Fractiles-7

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Information about Fractiles-7
Posted 11/26/2017 by Diana Bohman
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These will create so many different ways to design and since I am a quilter I just love this toy for both of my Grandchildren.
Review of Fractiles-7

My rating of Fractiles-7
Posted 5/24/2017 by Judith Suttles
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This product was a hit! It’s especially good for creative children.
Review of Fractiles-7

A rating of Fractiles-7
Posted 2/23/2017 by Gary Hyde – GRANDPARENT
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Product was a gift to my grandson and I don’t get to see how often it is being used
Review of Fractiles-7

Great travel toy
Posted 12/11/2016 by Paula Halloran – MOTHER
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I bought my daughter the Fractiles last year and she loved it. Too bulky to travel with so when I found the travel size I was thrilled. She enjoys making her own designs rather than following suggestions. It’s a great toy that keeps her attention for long road trips and it doesn’t make a SOUND!! (which is music to my ears).
Review of Fractiles-7 Travel

This is fantastic for my 6 year old granddaughter that loves building, art, and working with shapes.
Posted 12/8/2016 by Pat Morger – GRANDPARENT
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It’s also good for her 5 year old brother than needs practice with his fine motor skills. It hasn’t been played with yet since it’s a holiday gift, but I am sure both of my grandkids will love it!
Review of Fractiles-7

Fractiles
Posted 10/6/2016 – RELATIVE
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We purchased this for our niece on her 6th birthday. She loves it! She followed the patterns and is creating her own.
Review of Fractiles-7

Fractiles-7
Posted 6/29/2016 by Wayne M Poplinski – GRANDPARENT
Rating:
This was a birthday gift for a 6 yr. old grand daughter. She got many gifts a few days before I gave her my gifts. Her first reaction was, Boring! But after I opened the package, she could not keep her hands off it. We played it until she went home with mommy. Looking forward to hours of creative interaction with her using this as the medium.
Review of Fractiles-7

Fractions 7
Posted 2/18/2016 by Diane VonDette
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This was a birthday gift for my granddaughter. She just turned 8. It is a really great project for her imagination. She loves to create and build and it is difficult finding things for her to keep her imagination growing. She used it the whole time she was with us and I’m sure will continue when she gets home.
Review of Fractiles-7

Fun birthay gift
Posted 2/7/2016 by bethb – RELATIVE
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This gift was for my 6 year old neice. She really likes the bright colors and hands on activity of this gift. I like that she thinks of it as fun art, when her brain is really learning about so much more. Very happy with this purchase.
Review of Fractiles-7

Love them
Posted 12/30/2015 by Kezia Uhrich
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I purchased 2 of these for my nieces for Christmas. 9 years old and 6 years old. They both loved them. My 64 year old mother wanted one to “design quilts”, maybe she will get to play with the girls’ toy.
Review of Fractiles-7

Love this!
Posted 11/12/14 by Gigilicious
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Love this!! It is such a great educational game for kids. I bought this for my 8 year old daughter after she became interested in wooden patterns at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. This set is excellent. It has a metal backplate and break apart vinyl pieces which have a magnetic underside. This is a great gift for travel, as kids can have so much fun, without requiring bigger space than a lap or tray table. Additionally, the inner sleeve of the package shows fabulous patterns that the kids can follow to make great designs. This is also a great birthday gift!!
Review of Fractiles-7 Large

Excellent entertainment value while teaching symmetry, geometry
Posted 4/25/13 by Maureen
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Fractiles have captivated my children for years, so much so that recently I purchased a second set The kids really enjoy making shapes, flowers, pictures, etc. with the colorful pieces, while at the same time they are learning about geometry. This is an excellent tool for learning as well as for keeping the kids busy and out of trouble, especially while traveling. They easily store inside their own little travel jacket (I put the whole thing in a ziploc baggy) and can help keep everyone sane during long trips by car, train, or plane!
Review of Fractiles-7 Travel

… see more in our Reviews Archive

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Boulder Fractiles Fans

Danica McKellar & Friends

Developmentally Disabled

“My 32 year old developmentally disabled daughter Amy really loves Fractiles-7. Amy enjoys hours and hours of playing with Fractiles. The magnetic tiles are easy to manipulate and help keep her designs in place.”
– Joan S.

Elderly

“I gave my 89 year old mother a set of Fractiles for Mother’s Day. She is confined to sitting in a chair a lot and I felt this might be a good past time game for her. She said ‘Fractiles gives me so much pleasure. You cannot imagine how much I enjoy Fractiles-7. I spend hours playing with it!’ Thank you!”
– Elizabeth Nielson, Denver, CO

Eye Doctors

“Thank you for creating the Fractiles product! In our vision therapy we use Fractiles to improve visual-perceptual skills in children and adults. Fractiles is a great tool to improve visual-spatial relations, visual memory, visual form perception, visual discrimination, visual form, constancy, visual closure, and visual figure-ground skills. As behavioral optometrists, we recognize that vision develops during infancy and childhood and adequate visual skills will only develop if the proper stimulation to the visual system is provided. We use parquetry blocks to develop many of these skills as a beginning activity. Once the visual patient is successful with this type of task, Fractiles is introduced as a fun, creative and challenging way for our patients to hone their visual-perceptual skills. Thanks again!”

Sincerely,
Dr. Dorothy M. Parrott
Dr. Marisa Atria Kruger
Dr. Audrey L. Dockins
Behavioral Optometrists
Lakewood, CO

Figure This Math Challenge

Dr. George Campbell, President of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. Dr. Cambell is pictured with students from Burville Elementary School, Northeast Washington, D.C., during the National Science Foundation’s Figure This Math Challenge in 1999.

Grown-Up Kids

Fun for kids if they can get it from the grownups.

“I’ve set this out at parties and people are fascinated. You can play while having a conversation and a drink…and it gets interesting when more than one person works on something at the same time.”
–Peggy Jo (Colorado) April 19, 2007

“Fractiles 7, I love this item. My granddaughter received it for Christmas and I was so excited about it I ordered it for myself. I think it is a little too challenging for a 7 yr old – but I love it.”
— Mavis L. Clinedinst (New Jersey) February 14, 2007

“I found Fractiles about a month ago at a natural history museum….. They haven’t been put away yet. Our nieces and nephews give us a hard time. They say, ‘For a couple with no kids, you have a LOT of toys!’ “
– Rebecca

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Hospital Patients

Fractiles has been chosen for children’s hospitals program.

“My eleven year old granddaughter was recently in the hospital for surgery. The pre-op nurse, always looking for calming and soothing activities to help relax the children before surgery, gave my granddaughter a set of Fractiles to play with. My granddaughter and the other children awaiting surgery just loved Fractiles. And it did have a calming affect. My granddaughter enjoyed Fractiles so much that I bought her a set of her own. She and her cousin play with Fractiles together for hours on end, totally ignoring the TV!”

Intergenerational Play

Wonderful Toy for All Ages
Posted 01/27/2010
by Sharon
Rating:
We bought this as a Christmas gift for our grandchild a few years ago. She is now 7 years old and it is still one of the first things she pulls out when visiting. She makes up games with it (you can make bugs,/flowers etc), makes up her own designs or recreates the many designs that are included. I highly recommend this entertaining game/toy/ not really sure what to call it. Grandma & Grandpa get it out to play with occasionally too.

Creative Adventure Puzzle for All Ages
Posted 12/23/2007
by Lynette Sali
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Our grandchildren like Fractiles so much they ask for us to bring it when we go for a visit. Our 5 year old grandson loves them and we find them fun and creative, too. There are many possible designs and you never get tired of looking for new ways to use them. We liked out first Fridge Fractiles set so well that we ordered two of the larger sets that come with a metal board (so that more people can play). I highly recommend this interactive toy. It challenges you each time you play. You can make the pictured puzzles or design your own. A puzzle to delight children as well as adults. This one will be around a long time at our house.

Enjoyed by Whole Family
Posted 1/2/2008
by L Holmes
Rating:
Fun gift, enjoyed by whole family. All the kids and even my husband have enjoyed making cool patterns with the Fractiles. We like the magnetic thing… pieces don’t fall around on the car floor.

Challenging and Interesting For Both Children and Adults
Posted 12/27/2007
by Ekaterina Vorobieva
Rating:
My daughter (5.5 years old) and I both like puzzles and brain-twisters of any kind. We love this toy. It allows both to copy existing designs and creating your own. After my daughter creates one of her own, we take a picture. She is excited. It also encourages “family time” as my daughter needs help with some of the designs. I recommend this toy to someone who likes puzzles and creativity.

Great Toy
Posted 2/19/2007
by Moira Chas
Rating:
This toy presents interesting challenges for every person in my household. My daughter (age four) likes to make figures, thinks about magnets and works on hand coordination. My son (eleven) makes designs. And I, as a mathematician, enjoy all the aspects of this toy. We bought ours a few months ago, and it is still in perfect condition. We just bought another one as a present.

A hit with Whole family!
Posted 03/17/2005
Rating:
“I bought Fractiles as a birthday gift for a boy turning 8. His mother says he loves playing with it, so does his 5 year old brother and so does she! I’m pleased with Fractiles-7 as my gift choice!”

Math Puzzle Fans

“Tiling theory is one of the hottest topics in today’s mathematical research. Fractiles-7 is a marvelous way to introduce the wonders of tiling patterns to pre-college age students. The 7-fold patterns are positively addictive! One can spend tireless hours creating endless patterns of amazing intricacy and beauty.”
– Martin Gardner, World Famous Scientific American Puzzle Master

“If you are like me, you will want a set of these magnetic little rhombuses to build many wonderful and imaginative designs. There are extensions of this concept, in the genera of geometric “dissections” that take this concept well beyond mere child’s play, and may have implications for design paradigms with deep educational and even professional consequences in such fields as architecture and publishing.”
– Dr. Phillips Verner Bradford, Former Executive Director of the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute and Author of the remarkable book Ota Benga, the Pygmy in the Zoo

Museum Shops

“My grandchildren have enjoyed the Fractiles set I purchased for them at the Orlando Museum of Art more than anything I have given them in a long time. As chair person of the committee selecting the merchandise, I have researched Museum Stores for a year, testing children’s things on my granddaughters, age 12 and grandson, age 9. These are the best thing yet! The whole family has enjoyed them and they are super for travel!”
– Diane B. Crichlow, Museum Store Chair Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC

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Our  Youngest Fan

Jamie, age three and a half, our youngest Fractiles Fan, with his composition “Porcupine”.  Jamie is proud that he made his design with no adult help. (Due to the small size of the tiles, adult supervision is recommended for ages under 6.)

Parents

“My daughter Sylvie [age 4½] creates a new fractile every day. It’s her favorite toy. Thank you for creating this magnificent activity.”
– Jenny S., NYC

“Fractiles is rated for Children 6+, but my 5 year old loves it! My father, a scientist, gave it to him as a birthday gift. Matthew loves to make the patterns shown on the package, and his 10 year old brother makes patterns of his own. They have spent hours with it, and so have I. For the younger boy, it’s great for following patterns and motor skills, for the older one it is a creative toy. We recommend it!”
– Toy Enthusiast and father of two from Santa Barbara County

“I bought Fractiles for my son who was 3 at the time and he played with it for hours at a time. He still plays with it and is now 5. He can make all of the designs on the outside cover. He also comes up with cool designs of his own.”
– Denise M.

“I’m getting my grandson more Fractiles for Christmas. They are great for children who get restless during church services. Thanks!”
– Janet P., Chattanooga, TN

Persons With Disabilities

“As an adult day program – we are constantly searching for activities that will catch and keep the attention of our Alzheimers participants.”

“Fractiles has been a very successful tool for us – keeping one participant engaged for sometimes hours as he waits for his wife to pick him up. He always recognizes it as something familiar when we pull it out and ask him to help us with our ‘project’.”
– Ann Muñios Director – Carelink: Adult Day Care Providers, City of Boulder Senior Services, Boulder, CO

“Since I’m incapacitated due to a stroke, I find that Fractiles-7 is a delightful way to spend a few hours. As a retired commercial artist, I also find that Fractiles-7 compliments both my interests and my meager talents.”
– John L . Retired Commercial Artist, San Diego, CA

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Travelers

Patti Tepper-Rasmussen, owner of Learning Tree Toys, Games & Books, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Okla., told TDmonthly® in an April 2013 survey that Fractiles are one of the store’s best-selling travel products.

Fun and portable
Posted 1/28/2009
Rating:
“I purchased this for a 10 year old girl, who is often in an automobile for long trips, it is the ideal toy. She enjoys it very much.”

Portable fun
Posted 1/20/2009
by Amazon Afficianado, NY, NY
“This is a great travel toy. The size of the board and the magnetic surface makes it great for the airplane or car. It encourages creativity and builds visual-spatial skills. My husband is having as much fun using it as my 6 year old.”

Cool Toy for Travel!
Posted 07/04/2005 by Karen Shelton
Rating:
“This is a great travel toy. The size of the board and the magnetic surface makes it great for the airplane or car. It encourages creativity and builds visual-spatial skills. My husband is having as much fun using it as my 6 year old.”

Excellent travel companion!
Posted 02/25/2005 by Mary Schneider
Rating:
“I purchased two of these, one each for my daughters–5 and 7. They absolutely enjoy working and designing with this product. They don’t even realize they are learning as they create. Hours passed by on the plane as they put together countless designs to be shown to others. This item is a wonderful idea as it is neither too difficult for my 5 year-old nor too easy for my 7 year-old. Each created beautiful designs from the start without it being too frustrating. I would recommend this product for children 5 and over especially while traveling because it truly engages children.”

“Our children, ages six and seven, just play with Fractiles all the time! We bring it in the car for long rides and it really keeps them content. Fractiles is a wonderful travel toy!”
– Terry, Mother of Two

“My grandchildren have enjoyed the Fractiles set I purchased for them at the Orlando Museum of Art more than anything I have given them in a long time. As chair person of the committee selecting the merchandise, I have researched Museum Stores for a year, testing children’s things on my granddaughters, age 12 and grandson, age 9. These are the best thing yet! The whole family has enjoyed them and they are super for travel!”
– Diane B. Crichlow, Museum Store Chair, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC

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