Spielgaben - has anyone used one?

[Finlandia]

I only recently learned about Spielgaben and it was instantly added to my mental wishlist. 

https://spielgaben.com/shop/spielgaben-complete-package-special-deal-incl-hardcopy/ 

I love the potential for creativity and exploration that something like this has. However, the $500 price tag is no joke! All the reviews I can find online are from people who were given a set in exchange for a review, and let’s face it: it’s a whole lot easier to believe that an item is worth the cost when you didn’t have to buy it with your own money ? So has anyone here used one? What ages have you used it with? The product description says it can be used up to age 12. Is that realistic? For your family, has it been worth the price? Why or why not? 

For those of you who have thought about buying one but didn’t, what made you decide not to get one? 

Thanks in advance! 

[wendyroo]

Here is an old thread about Spielgaben.

[4KookieKids]

So, I just read the other thread and it seems a bit down on Spielgaben... So I'll just add my 2 cents here, and maybe over there after, too... lol

We got one as a gift from kids' grandparents about three years ago. Even today, ALL my kids (current ages: 9, 7, 5, 3) still play with this several times a week - often daily. 

We use it for math, for games, for puzzles, for building... We LOVE the materials that come with it to help the kids learn to engage in it more, and I wonder if it's lack of being able to see those materials that cause folks to think it's not all it's cracked up to be? It starts by having you just explore, but then you have these little cards that you're supposed to build yourself (maybe a flower with the colorful tiles or a castle with the actual blocks), and then they get progressively more complicated, and it stretches your brain to think that you can build *this* (whatever it is) with only *these* basic shapes. 

One of my kids' favorite activities is hanging the geometric solids on a string and spinning them and noticing how the shape that they make when spinning in the air is different than the shape when still, and analyzing why it makes the shape it does when you spin it. Most adults I've shown that trick find it equally mesmerizing, honestly.

I love the quality of the toys. We have nothing but good to say about the Spielgaben itself. The only con for us would've been the price. I'm not sure I could've stomached it, had my parents not asked what to get the children and make it clear how much they were willing to spend. (It counted as Christmas for all four kids, due to the expense.)

I looked into a diy sort of thing, but didn't feel like I could honestly make one quite as good, and certainly not as organized or with all the extra activity ideas and materials, as the Spielgaben came. Though, I might have tried if it hadn't been a gift. If you can afford it - I say go for it! We really do love ours.

[Finlandia]

16 hours ago, 4KookieKids said:

So, I just read the other thread and it seems a bit down on Spielgaben... So I'll just add my 2 cents here, and maybe over there after, too... lol

We got one as a gift from kids' grandparents about three years ago. Even today, ALL my kids (current ages: 9, 7, 5, 3) still play with this several times a week - often daily. 

We use it for math, for games, for puzzles, for building... We LOVE the materials that come with it to help the kids learn to engage in it more, and I wonder if it's lack of being able to see those materials that cause folks to think it's not all it's cracked up to be? It starts by having you just explore, but then you have these little cards that you're supposed to build yourself (maybe a flower with the colorful tiles or a castle with the actual blocks), and then they get progressively more complicated, and it stretches your brain to think that you can build *this* (whatever it is) with only *these* basic shapes. 

One of my kids' favorite activities is hanging the geometric solids on a string and spinning them and noticing how the shape that they make when spinning in the air is different than the shape when still, and analyzing why it makes the shape it does when you spin it. Most adults I've shown that trick find it equally mesmerizing, honestly.

I love the quality of the toys. We have nothing but good to say about the Spielgaben itself. The only con for us would've been the price. I'm not sure I could've stomached it, had my parents not asked what to get the children and make it clear how much they were willing to spend. (It counted as Christmas for all four kids, due to the expense.)

I looked into a diy sort of thing, but didn't feel like I could honestly make one quite as good, and certainly not as organized or with all the extra activity ideas and materials, as the Spielgaben came. Though, I might have tried if it hadn't been a gift. If you can afford it - I say go for it! We really do love ours.

This is really helpful! Thank you! It’s good to know that after three years your kids are still using it regularly. And thank you for explaining how the cards work. So many of the reviews talk about how amazing the guides are, but without being able to see samples of them it’s hard for me to get a feel for what they actually are. 

This sounds like something that my whole family would enjoy (including me!) I’m definitely going to talk with DH about it. I don’t really have any curriculum purchases that I need for this upcoming year, so this might be a good time to invest in something like this. 

[bemis]

I agree with 4KookieKids--we also have had our Spielgaben set for three years.  It's not cheap, but it's far better quality, and gets a ton more use than similar sets of manipulatives we've used (other geometric 3D solids, block sets, attribute blocks, etc.).  It's probably also cheaper, when you consider the random things you pick up.  A major benefit to Spielgaben is that it's all made to work together, so you're not limited by different scales, etc.  We've gotten rid of pretty much all other manipulatives, except the few other things we use with RightStart Math (I substituted Spielgaben in for many of the materials from the RightStart set, and saved money that way).

But the thing is, Spielgaben isn't a set of manipulatives.  It's a toy that just has so many uses.  My kids (now 6-9 years old) also use various parts at least weekly and often daily.  We use it for math in addition to their pulling out various parts and playing and making different things.  I know that we will continue to use this set for years.  It is perfect for modeling molecules, DNA, etc.  

There's also not a reason to be wary or suspicious about the "worksheets."  I wouldn't refer to them as worksheets at all.  Some are similar to patterns you can get for pattern blocks, to copy designs.  Others are for ideas of learning some of the many ways one might use the set--for instance, I never would have thought to use tape to stick the blocks together, but this is a great way to do various things and doesn't hurt it at all.  My kids were obsessed with making "cameras" out of the blocks for awhile, which is a design presented in on of the books.  The math guide is excellent, but I haven't used it as much as I would like.  It gives various ideas for activities presenting and practicing different math concepts.  The Kindergarten guide is more like a workbook, but even that isn't really.  It's more like a cross between pattern block patterns and a Critical Thinking Company book on thinking skills.

So, I'd skip the other workbooks you'd buy for preschool-first graders, along with any manipulatives and toys, and just invest in this.  It's absolutely worth it in my opinion.  Between this and read-aloud books, you've basically got a full preschool-first grade curriculum, and it will continue being fun for both school and play for many years after.

[LMD]

I just read the other thread and 4 years later, I'd write exactly the same comment, right down to the lego... 😆

 

"I have one. Got it second hand - cheaper.

 

It's... hard to describe. The kids love playing with it and actually do fairly well with packing it up and NOT just tipping it all out (wish they could do that with lego!)

We do some of the activities sporadically - some are great and some fairly underwhelming. The kids generally like to just play with it but I use the manuals and am glad to have them. And I'm not generally a 'need the teacher guide' person.

 

I don't know if it is worth the exorbitant price, but I don't regret buying it and I am happy that I have it as a resource...

 

Clear as mud?"

Edited January 16, 2021 by LMD