Wedgits reduced

Sometimes when I am looking around a toy store for some new plaything for myself, I frown over a "12 and older" suitability - it may be difficult enough to not get much play. "9 and older" is safer, though there is good scope for toys for younger kids. But when I run across the notation "adult supervision required," I do not consider that a problem - I am an adult, after all. Such can be the challenges of living a developmentally disabled life.

I think a lot about the Stages in Block Building, both while shopping and while playing. While various of these may not apply in the same degree to different types of block play materials, most of them have at least some applicability, and I am inclined to believe that the better a toy suits the various stages, the better the toy.

I also make a point of observing the stages to some degree in my own play. I particularly find Carrying to be important, and I will actually encourage myself to carry something around for a new set - a piece, a plan booklet, something.

So since I got my first Mini Wedgits, I have been carrying a 15 piece "mini-junior" around in my coat pocket. But over time it has seemed more and more like it was just a bit too big. But I wasn't through with the wanting to carry my current favorite toy. Maybe after the cataract surgery is all done. Maybe after some old-guy tooth work that follows the cataract surgery.

So today I finally got around to trimming it down to a 10 piece sub-junior set, by pealing off an onion-layer from the 15, and building a few things. Probably my recent creative excursion helped embolden me.

I won't claim it is an original idea: Naef has a six piece set, Diamant Metallic, mostly as a "design object," since six pieces provides rather limited building opportunities. But the intermediate stage of ten pieces has seemed promising.

And so it worked out - first with Minis in my car (black background) then with standards back home (purple background). There's even scope for some locking, for some "technical building." I hope to come up with several more designs (contributions welcome) and make up my own card set. Both the reduced complexity and the reduced color set will be of benefit at times.

Good Block Play