Vol. 5, No. 2 March/April 1997	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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Blocks in Motion

Patty Hove

In Blocks in Motion, from Don Johnson, Inc., fine motor skills are not necessarily a prerequisite for success. Children of all ages will enjoy making rocket ships, boats, people and more out of colorful blocks. Once blocks are stacked, lined up, and rotated, glue them together and make them move! Not only can the blocks be of different colors, they can also bounce, fall from the “sky” or collide. Set them against various backgrounds like a gravel walkway, sandy beach, or brick wall and the possibilities are endless for a fun and educational experience. Once that car of yours is built, you can assign it a speed and race it against the slower block cars. Squares, ovals, circles and other shapes can be quickly drawn using the “Background Paint Toolbar”; text can also be entered.

Blocks in Motion encourages skills of creative thinking, cause and effect, problem solving, and figure ground manipulation. The Blocks in Motion manual includes a tutorial, sample activities, and classroom ideas. Blocks in Motion can also be used with the standard keyboard, alternative keyboards such as Ke:nx On Board, touch window/screen, and single switch/scanning methods. System requirements are the following: Macintosh LC or higher, System 7 or higher, 2.5 MB hard drive, 2.5-5 MB RAM for the program. Contact your local ATRC for a demo of Blocks in Motion.