Pattern Blocks

Pattern Blocks are a set of mathematical manipulatives developed in the 1960s. The six shapes are both a play resource and a tool for learning in mathematics, which serve to develop spatial reasoning skills that are fundamental to the learning of mathematics. Among other things, they allow children to see how shapes can be composed and decomposed into other shapes, and introduce children to ideas of tilings. Pattern blocks sets are multiple copies of just six shapes:

• Equilateral triangle (Green)
• 60° rhombus (2 triangles) (Blue) that can be matched with two of the green triangles
• 30° Narrow rhombus (Beige) with the same side-length as the green triangle
• Trapezoid (half hexagon or 3 triangles) (Red) that can be matched with three of the green triangles
• Regular Hexagon (6 triangles) (Yellow) that can be matched with six of the green triangles
• Square (Orange) with the same side-length as the green triangle

All the angles are multiples of 30° (1/12 of a circle): 30° (1×), 60° (2×), 90° (3×), 120° (4×), and 150° (5×).