How to make a square out of paper in the easiest way. Fold the Nikitin square (do-it-yourself game) Do-it-yourself split Nikitin square

Nikitin's puzzles are incredible useful games aimed at developing intelligence, spatial imagination, logical thinking, mathematical and creative abilities. For a very long time I wanted to make a magnetic game of folding a square with my own hands. The other day I purchased magnetic vinyl with an adhesive layer. Before this, I always bought without an adhesive layer and printed all game materials on self-adhesive. And then I found velvet colored paper and decided to make a game of folding a square out of it. To be honest, I don’t remember where I got this velvet paper from, I probably inherited it from my mother, she is my teacher and I probably got a craving for all sorts of games and crafts for children with my own hands from her.

So, I decided to make Nikitin’s magnetic puzzle with my own hands, for this I needed:

  1. Magnetic vinyl with adhesive layer thickness 0.5 mm;
  2. Velvet colored paper;
  3. Scissors;
  4. Pencil;
  5. Ruler;
  6. Stationery knife;
  7. A wooden board as a stand for cutting out parts.

From colored paper I cut out multi-colored squares with a side of 5 cm. In the original, the side of the squares was 6 cm.

Game fold a square with your own hands

I removed the protective paper from the magnetic vinyl and glued all the squares to the side with the adhesive layer.

Game fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

I cut out the squares, and then, focusing on the diagrams ( You will find the diagrams at the end of this publication.) cut them all into pieces using a stationery knife. Since my child is already 4 years old, I immediately decided to make a more difficult puzzle by cutting the squares into 3, 4 and 5 parts.

The result is this “velvet” game of folding a square with your own hands. To be honest, it is quite difficult to assemble squares from parts, even though I cut them myself, after a while I forgot how to assemble them again, and by the evening I completely forgot how to put together squares from 4-5 parts.

You can stack these squares on any magnetic surface: on the refrigerator as in the photo or on a children's magnetic board as shown below.

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

We spent the entire evening solving puzzles as a family and putting these squares together on a magnetic board. We started with 3-piece squares and gradually moved to more complex 4- and 5-piece squares. Our dad got so carried away that even when everyone was tired of it, he selflessly collected all the squares.

So we can safely say that this game is a put-a-square puzzle for the whole family, we recommend it!

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

Game fold a square with your own hands

Nikitin's puzzle - fold a square with your own hands

DIY Nikitin puzzle

Game fold a square with your own hands

I took diagrams of how to cut squares for the sample from the official website http://nikitiny.ru/Slozhi-kvadrat.

Many parents are scratching their heads, not knowing what to give their baby for his birthday or New Year. After all, the arsenal already has a whole fleet of vehicles or Dollhouse And a child can be interested in such a toy for a short time. Another thing is various educational aids, such as Nikitin squares, which the child will be happy to collect again and again, and when he grows up, he can move on to a new, more complex level.

If it is not possible to purchase ready game, then Nikitin squares can be made with your own hands from colored cardboard, plastic or painted plywood. This will not take much time, but you just need to draw out identical squares and cut them according to a ready-made template, which can be viewed on the Internet.

Nikitin squares level 1

The game consists of three levels and the first is the easiest. It has two tablet frames into which parts of six squares are inserted. At this stage they consist of two or three parts. Children as young as one and a half years old can assemble such simple puzzles and learn colors at the same time.

Before offering your child Nikitin’s “Fold the Square” game, you need to ask him to divide all the pieces by , because the cube consists only of same-color components.


Nikitin squares level 2

In this set, still the same, consisting of two tablets divided into six squares, the task is already more complex. The squares here are already divided into 4, 5 and 6 segments, which makes the baby’s work much more difficult and allows him to activate his mental abilities, developing them.

Logical and analytical thinking is actively involved in the game process, because it is not for nothing that these games are called didactic - that is, developing. If your child wants to go beyond simple squares, don’t bother him, because spatial thinking is wonderful. The baby can build various figures that come to his mind using colored pieces.


Nikitin squares level 3

The most difficult level involves dividing squares into large and small parts - from 4 to 7. This is quite difficult work even for an adult and for a child it requires a lot of concentration and work of both visual and mental analyzers.


Alexandra 03/22/2019

I ordered a “flower” for my girl. The quality is excellent, it is clear that it was made with love! It's very nice to play. The author's recommendations are very useful and concise. I recommend! And I will order more myself.

Alexandra 03/21/2019

I order games only from this site. First-hand. Here they are “correct”, without deviations or liberties! Even though my child is only one and a half years old, I want to buy everything!! To keep it simple and warm your soul! So these games remind me of those that my mother made for us when we were little. Thank you ❤️

vipyak 03/06/2019

Thank you very much for prompt and high-quality work!!! Special thanks for calling back after ordering, because... there was a malfunction in the store. Excellent quality toys, fast delivery and a happy child!!! Thank you so much for your work and the work of your parents!!!

Anna 12/17/2018

This is the most the best option games Fold the square that can be!
My son met him in 2.11, and in 3.1 he was able to collect all the squares. Now I bought him a second level. I think if the acquaintance had taken place earlier, we would also have moved on to the new level earlier :)

Elena 11/21/2017

We received the game "Fold the Square" level 1 for a boy in the form of a car. Once again I was amazed by the quality of the game! She even sat with her son and folded squares. In addition to the main idea of ​​​​the game (folding squares), there are many other options. My son pours all the pieces out of the cars, sorts them by color, puts them back into the cars, sorts the cars themselves by numbers, and learns to tie a bow from a cord that holds all the cars in a stack. Another huge thank you for the game. We'll grow up a little, we'll order the next levels and next games. I don’t regret purchasing the games from you one bit!!!

Lenara 10/24/2017

I'm in love with these games! My daughter and I started playing “Fold the Pattern” when she was about 1.5 years old, now we are 2 years 8 months old. This time we purchased several games and a book about games. Everything is of excellent quality! I get aesthetic pleasure: looking at them, holding them in my hands. I'm delighted with the quality of the book! Recently, books have been printed on grayish paper, but in this book the paper is snow-white. I had to rack my brains when it came time to put “Cubes for Everyone” back in the box! :) Even though some games are still a little difficult for kids, they already need to be introduced, as it is written in the book, “to create an environment that advances the child’s development.” :) For preschoolers and younger schoolchildren, games are simply invaluable! I plan to purchase all the games and manuals later! Thank you very much for your tremendous work!

Larisa 07.27.2017

Very happy with the purchase! The quality is top notch! Even my husband, always very critical, was pleasantly surprised by such quality of performance!

Ekaterina 02/13/2017

I really liked the set, it’s wooden, well made, the colors are bright, it’s easy to play with, the cars are looking for their loads, etc., the little book for parents is very convenient and clear information on how to play and teach, I’m very pleased, you should only buy their games from the Nikitins!! !

Alexander 12/30/2016

Hi all! I bought a game for a 2-year-old child in March 2016. Overall, a high-quality box with well-cut pieces of squares. When connecting the pieces, you get an even, clear square. At first there were a few burrs on the pieces of squares (wood, nothing can be done), but after several games everything was removed. After purchasing, inspect the pieces for possible burrs. Other stores sell a version of this game where the pieces must be placed in a square frame, which makes solving the problem much easier. On this site there is a game without these frames. I think this is an advantage. The pieces are painted in rich colors. Therefore, in the game you can develop not only intelligence, but also study colors and shades with your child. At 2 years old, the child collected only 1 square out of 10, at 2.5 years old he already collected 8 out of 10 squares. Not expected. This game is helped by the book “How to Play with Children,” which comes with the game. The principles described in it help me play other games (not Nikitin’s) with my child. It is clear that the child is developing. Special thanks for these principles! By the way, the “fold the square” third level will really appeal to all dads, especially those with a “technical” mindset. The tasks are difficult. Therefore, you can play with your child, thereby spurring the child’s interest in the game, distracting him from crazy gadgets. Conclusion: I am satisfied with the purchase, the game helps the child develop only if you follow the principles that are written in the book.

The market for educational games and toys today is impressive with its huge range. Idea early development is close to a huge number of mothers, and each of them is looking for suitable activities for their child, fortunately, there really is plenty to choose from. One of the manuals that has proven itself among children and their parents is the manuals of Boris Pavlovich Nikitin, an innovative teacher. He and his wife tested their invention on their children, and today many children study using these developmental materials.

One of these benefits is a game with the simple name Fold a Square. Actually, the whole essence of the game is in the name - the child must put together squares from several parts. Nikitin squares are used for classes with children aged two years and older. So why is this game useful and attractive? It is based on some semblance of a puzzle - we put together a whole figure from individual parts. The result of the work is always the same - a square. But this does not make the game boring; on the contrary, the child sees the goal he must achieve and looks for ways to solve the problem facing him.

Nikitin squareshave three difficulty levels. Of course, for the youngest children it is necessary to choose the game “Fold the Square” of the first level. Don't think that simple tasks won't interest your child. The game system is designed so that the child, while playing, does not notice the smooth transition from simple to complex. Meanwhile, if the first figure is a whole square, and the second is a square cut in half, then the child will then have to put together a square of three or even five parts. Of course, it is necessary to play together with an adult; it will be difficult for the child himself to master this manual and, most likely, you will then find pieces of squares in the most unexpected places apartments. Therefore, be prepared to devote some time to this activity. So what's the best way to play?
There are a total of 24 squares in different colors in the set.

If you are just starting to play with the manual, give your baby a whole square. This is a pattern that a child will easily remember. Now you can offer your baby 2 or 3 cut squares. Since the first of them are very easy, the child, after thinking, can easily cope with them. First, the child will have to turn the parts over with the painted side up, remember the sample, and create the same figure from the proposed elements. Do you see how many actions there are in a seemingly very easy task? Be sure to praise the baby for constructing the square correctly, because praise is very encouraging and is a good incentive to continue the game. Each time we complicate the task, add new squares, carefully observe how well the child copes with the task, and let him figure it out on his own. The parts can be mixed and given to the child in one motley pile - let the child sort them by color himself. The number of squares that a child folds at a time also increases from two or three to 24! Of course, this is not done in one or two games, but very gradually; children usually learn to cope with a full set of squares by the age of three or four.
If you want your child to learn numbering from 1 to 24x, then Nikitin squares can also help you with this. You just have to turn them upside down and arrange the squares not by color, but by numbers on each part. The color in this case will simply be an auxiliary element.

If the child already knows all the squares and collects them without difficulty, you can arrange a game against the clock or compete with other children. And if you consider the first level to be completed, and you want something more complex, then you can move on to the game with the second level of difficulty - it is intended for children from four years old. And from the age of five, children can be offered the game “Fold the Square” of the third level of difficulty - there are very difficult tasks here, which even an adult sometimes has to think about a little. It is important not to force events, not to rush the child and not to jump to more complex levels, believing that the child is no longer interested in the previous level. There is no need to chase results from the category “And our son is already completing the third level at three years old!” It is much more important that your son or daughter understands the meaning of the game and gets pleasure and benefit from it.

To ensure that the lesson is not too dry and the child does not get bored, you can come up with some kind of fairy-tale plot. For example, squares are bricks for a house where a mouse will live, or pieces of a road for a favorite car. Use your imagination, and most importantly, enjoy the game. Children perfectly sense the mood of their parents. However, while present in the game, there is no need to suggest a solution to the child, or show your finger where to put this or that part, otherwise the child will simply have no room for thought - he will wait for you to put the parts together for him. It is also not recommended to use the frame, which sometimes comes with the parts. Putting parts into square frames greatly simplifies the task, and the effect of such a game is reduced.

After playing, always put the squares out of reach - they should not be used for any other purpose.

What is the use of the game Fold the square B.P. Nikitina for your baby?

Nikitin squares provide your child with comprehensive development:

encourage the child to think actively;


contribute cooperative game parent and child;


the child gets acquainted with primary colors and their shades;


the child learns to break down a complex task into simpler ones and solve them consistently;


logical and imaginative thinking develops;


fine motor skills develop;


mathematical and Creative skills


A simple-looking game of B.P. Nikitina in fact turns out to be not so simple; a lot of benefits can be derived from it for a child with properly organized classes. Using a creative approach, this game can be used to develop a wide variety of qualities and skills. Your child and you will definitely enjoy playing by putting the bright pieces into squares.

Voskobovich's technique is widely known to people associated with pedagogy since the collapse of Soviet Union. One of his popular toys is Voskobovich’s “Square”, or, as it is also called, a game square. We will tell you what kind of toy this is, how to play the Voskobovich square and how you can make it with your own hands in this article.


Voskobovich square - what kind of toy is it?

This game will be interesting not only for children different ages, but also adults playing with them. It is made in the shape of a square, which consists of 16 isosceles triangles. Between the triangles that make up the square there is a space 0.5 - 1 cm wide. The standard dimensions of triangles are 4.5 * 4.5 * 6 cm. A well-bending material is chosen as the base of the toy, most often fabric. The standard size of the square base is from 14 to 15 cm.

The planes of each triangle are painted in contrasting colors. For example, on one side, all the triangles that make up the square are red, but if we expand the square, we will see that they are green.


The number of colors presented in a square depends on the age of the child who will play with it. You can find two-color and four-color squares. The two-color one is intended for children aged 2 to 5 years; a child aged 3 to 8 years and older can handle the folding patterns of a four-color square. Red and red are often used for a four-color square. Blue colour

triangles on one side, yellow and green on the other side.


Along with the game, the kit includes instructions that offer a fairy-tale plot for the games and addition diagrams of different levels of complexity.

Benefits for a child from playing with Square

The play square will greatly help in the development of your child.

  • While playing with it, the child will: learn to name and distinguish different shapes;
  • geometric shapes
  • navigate the sizes – large, medium, small;
  • form first ideas about spatial relationships and spatial modeling;
  • be able to use the proposed schemes or come up with your own for constructing planar and three-dimensional figures;
  • remember colors;
  • develop imagination, creative data, creativity;
  • fine motor skills.


How to play

It must be remembered that an adult is a full partner in playing with a child. You can easily take this toy on your trip; it will keep your child occupied for a long time and takes up minimal space in your luggage.

To play with Voskobovich's magic square, you can use the book “Square Fun,” which is included in the package and offers a fairy tale story with 18 color addition patterns.

The fairy tale “The Mystery of the Raven Meter” with its main characters mom Trapezium, dad Rectangle, baby Square, grandfather Quadrangle and other characters will captivate your child into the world of adventure. He will happily agree to help overcome the difficulties that stand in the way of the heroes.

You can turn on your imagination and dream up with your child. Come up with your own fairy tale and your own schemes. You can create your own book in which your fairy tales will be written down and pictures drawn up together with your child, from which he can recreate the figures again. This game will be even more interesting for him. Play the game "Guess what happened."

To do this, fold some shape and ask your child to guess what happened. If the child already knows how to fold figures independently, then switch roles. Now he will put together a figure for you, and you guess.


Try to put together letters, numbers or symbols familiar to your baby. Let him try to do it on his own. This way you will not only spend time together usefully, but also reinforce the material previously studied with your baby.

You can create an unusual finger theater by playing only individual parts of the square. Let the child lift up the upper left corner with his finger, the lower left corner, the upper right, the lower, and now, lifting the center of the square from below with his finger, he will get a pyramid. This game will be fun to play with musical accompaniment.

The square can be cut in certain places. For example, by cutting a square with a cross, you will discover new possibilities for folding unusual three-dimensional shapes.


Fantasize with your baby and you will be able to discover new games with this wonderful square.

Master class on making a Voskobovich square with your own hands

There are several options for how to make a square yourself. More details about each.


Option 1

  1. Choose contrasting colors for the triangles. If you are making a two-color square, then red and green sheets of cardboard will be enough. If you decide to make a four-color square, you will need red, green, blue and yellow sheets.
  2. Draw on cardboard required amount triangles. For two-color you need 16 pieces of each color, for four-color - 8 pieces. You can use standard triangle sizes (6*4.5*4.5 cm), or you can make your own.
  3. Cut out the triangles.
  4. Based on the size of the triangles, decide on the size of the base. For standard sizes, the base will be 15*15 cm. If you use a different size of triangles, then take into account the distance between them of 0.5-1 cm.
  5. Glue the triangles together in pairs with contrasting colors: blue-yellow, red-green. There should be 16 triangles in total.
  6. Next, if you use tape, glue the triangles together on both sides, according to the number of colors chosen for the square.
  7. If you use film, first measure the dimensions of the base of the square. On the base, arrange the squares in the required sequence. Fold the film along the top border and carefully glue the squares on the other side. You will have a solid base for your square. If you use tape, there will be many connection points.





The guide is ready. You can start folding.



Option 2

You will need:

  • plain, easily folded fabric for the base;
  • colored self-adhesive paper;
  • scissors;
  • ruler:
  • pencil.


How to do:

  1. Prepare the base of the required size. Please note that the edges of the fabric should not fray. Treat them if necessary.
  2. Cut isosceles triangles from self-adhesive paper.
  3. Place the triangles on the base to avoid mistakes when gluing.
  4. Now gradually separate the protective paper layer from each triangle and glue it to the base.

The dimensions of the triangles and the base, the color combination are described in detail in option 1.


Option 3


How to do:

  1. Prepare the base. If necessary, trim the edges of the fabric.
  2. Cut out the required number of triangles from colored fabric.
  3. You need to cut out 32 triangles, slightly smaller in size, from cardboard.
  4. Assembling a square. We glue cardboard triangles onto the base using a glue gun, and glue fabric triangles on top of them.
  5. To add strength, sew the edges of the triangles using a sewing machine.

All the necessary sizes and color selection can be seen in the first version of the Voskobovich square.



In addition to games with such a square, Voskobovich offers another game “Transparent Square”.

Transparent square

With the help of this game the child will develop:

  • thought processes;
  • logics;
  • design skills;
  • fine motor skills.

In addition, the baby will learn to name and distinguish geometric shapes and learn about their peculiarities.


The set includes 30 transparent square-shaped plates. One of them is entirely blue, the other plates are colored blue only by individual particles of the square.

The set offers detailed guidance on game actions. It contains a fairy tale about the unusual non-melting ice floes of Lake Ice. According to the plot of the tale, the raven Mater competed with the guardian of Lake Ice for three days. All these days he performed various tasks. In the manual they are divided into 3 groups.


  • Day one offers tasks that require the analysis of geometric shapes and part-whole relationships.
  • Day 2 is devoted to collecting squares and other various shapes from particles.
  • The third day involves playing vertical dominoes.

All these days the child assists him in completing tasks, receiving a reward in the form of non-melting pieces of ice. From these he will be able to put together the figures offered in the album or create his own.

On the final third day, you can help the raven with your whole family by playing “vertical dominoes” with your child. The rules of the game are very simple. The players, in turn, draw out plates with parts and together begin to build a square from them. When the plate that you pulled out is not suitable for building a square, then you need to put it aside and start building another square from it.

The player who has completed the construction of the square takes it for himself, and he is awarded the number of points corresponding to the particles of the square. The winner is the player who has the most points at the end of the game.


The fairytale story “The melting ice floes of Ice Lake, or the tale of a transparent square” will tell the little one about what happened to the Master and the ice floes in the continuation of the story. This fairy tale is a continuation of a series of fairy tales about little Geo, Uncle Slava and the crow. If you are not familiar with them, you can read them summary, which is at the beginning of the book. After Geo takes the magic pieces of ice from the Master, he begins to search for a way out of the Violet Forest. Invisible Vse, who accompanies him on the road - a prankster and a mischief - is trying in every way to prevent him from doing this. However, your baby's participation and magical ice cubes will not allow him to do this. Your child will help Geo by collecting various figures from non-melting pieces of ice while reading the fairy tale.

The compactness of this game makes it very convenient. When you go on the road, you will know how to keep your child occupied for a long time.

The game is suitable for children from 3 to 9 years old. The set includes various diagrams for adding figures.


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