Playworks sells toys that invite play and enhance development in children from birth through age five

By Ahnee Min

Every parent can attest that choosing toys for children involves more than determining whether the child will like it. Besides concern for safety, shoppers today are focusing more on durability, quality, and increasingly on design.

How and what a toy is made of, as well as the toy's aesthetic design have become very important, especially in light of the recent spur of toy recalls and toy safety concerns. In addition, parents today want toys that offer a particular benefit (other than keeping their child quiet for a few hours!) such as improving the child's physical activity, stimulating the child's imagination and creativity, or helping a child learn a specific skill.

In the over 27 years that Tangle Toys have been around, children and most of all parents have fallen in love with the Tangle- well-known as a fidget toy, stress reducer, and universal creativity enhancer! At its core, Tangles are based on art, a movable sculpture that can be manipulated into different shapes, twisted endlessly in a therapeutic motion and serves as an infinite channel for creativity.

The story of how Tangles were invented is an interesting one, based on the journey of one man-- Richard X. Zawitz's quest to unify the myriad of life experiences (travels to India, Tibet, Japan), studies (in sculpture, art, Asian philosophy) and influences (from writings of Jacques Maritain, Sigfried Giedion, to works of calligrapher Morita Shiryu and the story of Enku, the Buddhist monk) into the creation of a four dimensional energy form.

It was during his travels that he came across the Tibetan infinite knot, containing a pattern of interwoven lines with no beginning and no end, symbolizing infinite life and creation that bore the creation of one of Richard's major works: the Statue of Infinity. The statue is a magnificent, stainless steel sculpture, made of 20 sections of 8 inch diameter tubing that rise into a series of endless twisted turns and curves.

In seeing people's reaction to his statue, Zawitz realized he needed to create a smaller version of his sculpture that people could actually hold and experience directly. He quickly recognized people's enchantment and attraction to the cosmic energy and magical sensation found in the twisty, curvy motion of the Tangles. Furthermore, the Tangles have an immense calming affect and stimulated the free flow of creativity when people manipulated and played with it, making the ways to engage and interact with Tangles infinite!

Today, with the importance of incorporating interaction and 'play' into learning, Tangles fill a very significant need by offering not only a safe, quiet toy that travels well, but one that integrates movement critical for active learning.

Each Tangle has 18 sections that can be detached or added onto or even shaped into different ways for story telling, learning to distinguish colors, making into a puzzle and so much more. Tangle also comes as a therapy device, made of rubber with small, bumpy nodes on it that offer a great tactile sensation for kids who are highly responsive to texture.

In addition, Tangles help facilitate the communication between both sides of the brain whether you are more right brain-oriented (i.e., visual, intuitive, and imaginative) or left brain- oriented (i.e., logical and linear in thinking). The motor systems of the brain are along the right and left hemispheres and as a result, "movement is one of the few systems through which a learner can pass information back and forth between both hemispheres, appealing to all types of thinkers." (Teaching with Tangle Brain Tools: The Playful Path to Meaningful Learning).

With over 100 million units sold, the original Tangle has in fact evolved into more than just a toy, evolving into other areas: as a teaching aid, a therapy device, fashion jewelry, museum collection, electronics, and even Tangle furniture! So next time you pick up a Tangle, take time to notice the aesthetic qualities, unique design, and rich artistic history from which the Tangles came from, and you too will see the endless possibilities that Tangles can serve in you and your child's life!

Here are just a few to share with you:

• Tangles are fun to look at, fun to hold, fun to twist, turn, and manipulate.
• Tangles are appealing to all ages and to boys and girls alike.
• Tangles can help students learn how to manage their behaviors and become participants in their own learning.
• Tangles offer students a hands-on art experience.
• Tangles are silent and calming. They do not disturb or disrupt others.
• Tangles encourage students to focus on almost any passive learning task at hand.
• Tangles are reusable and affordable.
• Tangles can easily be incorporated into all sorts of teacher or parent-directed games and activities.