US20040119235A1

US20040119235A1 - Children's game

Info

Publication number: US20040119235A1
Application number: US10/611,321
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Flinn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-17
Filing date: 2003-07-01
Publication date: 2004-06-24

Abstract

A children's game comprising a plurality of game tiles is provided. According to one preferred embodiment, each tile is substantially identical. Each tile includes a design on a first face and a design on a second face that is substantially identical to the design on the first face, but comprises a reverse color scheme. According to one preferred embodiment, the design comprises an arc that intersects opposite corners of a square tile. A first side of the arc defines a first color and a second side of the arc defines a second color. A method of arranging the tiles to form geometric shapes and spatial relationships is also provided.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 29/145,184, filed Jul. 17, 2001.[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to children's games. More particularly, this children's game provides a device for teaching children about colors, shapes and spatial relationships.

2. Description of the Related Art

Learning about shapes, colors and spatial relationships is an important part of early child development. Experimentation and manipulation of geometric patterns helps children learn fundamental skills such as identification, classification and association. Furthermore, assembling various pieces to form a whole spurs creativity and elicits a sense of accomplishment. Studies have also shown that children learn best when the lesson is entertaining. Therefore, a need exists for a children's game that not only enables children to assemble printed pieces to form a whole, with the whole depicting various geometric shapes and patterns, but that keeps the children entertained at the same time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiments of the children's game have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this children's game as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments,” one will understand how the features of the preferred embodiments provide advantages, which include stimulation of developing minds in an entertaining way.

According to one preferred embodiment, the children's game comprises a plurality of tiles. Each tile comprises a thin flat sheet of material having a design printed on a first face. The designs on the first face of each tile are substantially identical.

According to another preferred embodiment, each tile is substantially square in plan aspect, and the design on the first face comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face.

According to another preferred embodiment, an interior region of the first arc comprises a first color, and an exterior region of the first arc comprises a second color.

According to another preferred embodiment, each tile further comprises a design printed on a second face. The design on the second face is substantially identical to the design on the first face, except that the color scheme is a reverse of the color scheme of the design on the first face.

Another preferred embodiment of the children's game comprises a tile for stimulation and entertainment. The tile comprises a thin flat sheet, substantially square in plan aspect, and having a printed design on a first face. The design comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face and defining a boundary between a first region and a second region. The first region comprises a first color and the second region comprises a second color.

Another preferred embodiment further comprises a printed design on a second face substantially identical to the design on the first face, but having a reverse color scheme.

Another preferred embodiment of the children's game provides a method of forming geometric shapes. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of tiles, and arranging the tiles edge-to-edge on a flat surface such that designs on respective first faces form geometric shapes such as circles, semi-circles and four-pointed stars. Each tile comprises a thin flat sheet. Each tile is substantially square in plan aspect, and has a printed design on a first face. The design comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face and defining a boundary between a first region and a second region. The first region comprises a first color and the second region comprises a second color.

Another preferred embodiment of the children's game provides a method of forming geometric shapes identical to the first method, wherein each tile further comprises a printed design on a second face substantially identical to the design on the first face, but having a reverse color scheme.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the children's game, illustrating its features, will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and non-obvious children's game shown in the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only. These drawings include the following figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts: [0015]
FIG. 1 is a front-right-top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the children's game in accordance with the present invention; [0016]
FIG. 2 is a rear-left-bottom perspective view of the children's game of FIG. 1; [0017]
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the children's game of FIG. 1, illustrating nine pieces arranged in one unique pattern; and [0018]
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the children's game of FIG. 1, illustrating nine pieces arranged in another unique pattern.[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Preferred embodiments of the children's game comprise at least one [0020] tile 10 that has a pre-printed design on at least one face. Preferably, each tile 10 has a design on both faces. The tiles 10 may be of any shape. However as FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, each tile 10 is preferably substantially square in plan aspect. The tiles 10 may have any dimensions, and one tile 10 may have different dimensions than another tile 10. However, tiles 10 having different shapes and/or dimensions are preferably compatible to the extent that they line up neatly with each other without significant gaps between tiles 10. Each tile 10 is preferably made from cardboard or another material, such as plastic or balsa wood, that is lightweight, cheap to produce, and amenable to receiving printing. If the tiles are made of a solid material, the corners may be slightly rounded to prevent injury.
One of skill in the art will appreciate that the [0021] tiles 10 need not be substantially flat. Rather, each tile 10 could instead comprise a square block, with each face of the block including different designs and/or different colors.
The potential designs on each [0022] tile 10 are limitless. As FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, however, a preferred design includes a single arc 12 that intersects opposite corners on a first surface 14 of a square tile 10. A radius of the arc 12 is thus equal to a length of each edge of the square tile 10. The arc 12 divides the tile first surface 14 into a first, or interior, region 18, and a second, or exterior, region 20. The interior region 18 is preferably a first color, and the exterior region 20 is preferably a second color.
A [0023] second surface 22 of the same tile 10 preferably includes a design identical to that of the first surface 14, but with a reverse color scheme. In other words, if the design on the first surface 14 includes an arc 12 having a black interior region 18 and a white exterior region 20, then the design on the second surface 22 preferably includes an arc 12 of identical proportion having a white interior region 18 and a black exterior region 20.
In a preferred embodiment, each [0024] tile 10 is black and white. However, the tiles 10 could be any combination of colors. Furthermore, each region 18, 20 of each surface 14, 22 need not be a solid color. Each region 18, 20 could instead include multi-colored patterns, such as paisleys, stripes, polka-dots, plaids, etc.
The [0025] tiles 10 are preferably packaged and sold in bundles containing a plurality of tiles 10. For example, a bundle may include ten or twenty tiles 10. The tiles 10 are amenable to being placed on a flat surface and manipulated into numerous different arrangements. Exemplary arrangements are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The tiles 10 can be arranged to form numerous shapes and patterns, limited only by the design printed on each tile 10 and a child's imagination. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the tiles 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 have been arranged to form circles 24, semi-circles 26 and four-pointed stars 28. Any number of tiles 10 may be used to create patterns of any size or configuration. The tiles 10 may be arranged on a substantially flat surface, or may be used to build three dimensional objects by stacking or balancing the tiles 10.
Children may thus use the [0026] tiles 10 to create an almost limitless number of patterns. By varying the placement and orientation of each tile 10, children learn to create and to recognize particular shapes and spatial relationships. The tiles 10 thus stimulate children's cognitive abilities while providing entertainment. As a result, children enjoy playing with the tiles 10 by arranging and rearranging the tiles 10 to form unique shapes and patterns. The present game may also be played and enjoyed by adults of any age. The game of the present invention provides a low cost, fun and interesting method of teaching children about shapes, colors and the spatial relationship between articles. Thus, the game is educational as well as entertaining.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated for the present children's game, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this children's game. This children's game is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this children's game to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the children's game as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of the children's game. [0027]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A children's game, comprising:

a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising a thin flat sheet of material having a design printed on a first face, wherein the designs on the first face of each tile are substantially identical.

2. The children's game of claim 1, wherein each tile is made of cardboard.

3. The children's game of claim 1, wherein each tile is substantially square in plan aspect.

4. The children's game of claim 3, wherein the design on the first face comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face.

5. The children's game of claim 4, wherein an interior region of the first arc comprises a first color.

6. The children's game of claim 5, wherein an exterior region of the first arc comprises a second color.

7. The children's game of claim 1, wherein each tile further comprises a design printed on a second face.

8. The children's game of claim 7, wherein the design on the second face is substantially identical to the design on the first face.

9. The children's game of claim 8, wherein the design on the first face comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face and the design on the second face comprises a second arc intersecting opposite corners of the second face.

10. The children's game of claim 9, wherein the first arc defines a boundary between a first region comprising a first color and a second region comprising a second color.

11. The children's game of claim 10, wherein the design on the second face comprises a color scheme that is a reverse of a color scheme of the design on the first face.

12. The children's game of claim 8, wherein a radius of the first and second arcs is equal to a length of an edge of the tile.

13. A tile for stimulation and entertainment of children, comprising:

a thin flat sheet, substantially square in plan aspect, and having a printed design on a first face; wherein

the design comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face and defining a boundary between a first region and a second region; wherein

the first region comprises a first color and the second region comprises a second color.

14. The tile of claim 13, further comprising a printed design on a second face substantially identical to the design on the first face, but having a reverse color scheme.

15. A method of forming geometric shapes, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of tiles; wherein

each tile comprises a thin flat sheet having edges, substantially square in plan aspect, and having a printed design on a first face; wherein

the design comprises a first arc intersecting opposite corners of the first face and defining a boundary between a first region and a second region; and wherein

the first region comprises a first color and the second region comprises a second color;

arranging the tiles edge-to-edge on a substantially flat surface such that designs on respective first faces form geometric shapes such as circles, semi-circles and four-pointed stars.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each tile further comprises a printed design on a second face substantially identical to the design on the first face, but having a reverse color scheme.