Thursday, October 31, 2013

Tangrams

Our whole life is solving puzzles.
~Erno Rubik


The tangram is a puzzle invented a thousand years or so ago in China. It consists of seven geometric pieces: five triangles (two small, one medium and two large), one square, and one parallelogram. The pieces can be arranged in the shape of people, boats, animals, buildings, trees, and so on, but figuring out how to do it can be pretty tricky. You can make your own tangram pieces with just a piece of paper and some scissors.



Tangram on the Water
photo by Henk van der Eijk

Highland Square Tangram, Ohio
photo by Mark Turnauckas

Tangram Falling
photo by 麻里紗

Camel Tangram Earrings
by Antlitz Design
photo by Brianna Laugher

Tangram Bookcase
photo by 麻里紗

It Can Be Done
photo by Dalio Photo

Untitled (Woolly Bully)
by Morgen Bell

Mesa Tangram
photo by Paula Simoes


Links:

* Tangram links for all ages from About.com Mathematics
* An online tangram game on the Children of the Lamp book series site
* Magnetic DIY Travel Tangram Puzzles
* Make a Framed Tangram
* A Tangram Pinterest board
* Tangram United States
* Abstract Tangram Painting
* Porcelain Tangram Stickers

1 comment:

HWY said...

Tangrams are so cool. Guess I'll have no choice but to try them out!

Love the bookcases, BTW.

(And I guess the emperor was kinder than I thought he'd be!)