Tag Archives: ThinkFun

Review: Compose Yourself by ThinkFun


Photo-A-Day #3720

We received a copy of the new game from ThinkFun called Compose Yourself to play with and review. Our opinions are our own, 100%. We enjoyed playing this game for quite a while right out of the box. It is very simple but requires that you have either an internet connected mobile device or are using a computer to play. It is pretty great because you get to hear the song that you make as you play. Then you can change it around and see how else it can sound.

The idea is brilliant and was invented by world-famous composer and cellist Philip Sheppard. The story is that he was working on composing some music and that he was using transparent paper to put down his notes. Then he thought, what if I flip the notes upside down, or mirrored vertically, or horizontally. He experimented with how that changed the music and the idea for Compose Yourself happened. Philip worked with ThinkFun and created the game and then with an orchestra behind him he composed all the pieces of music that are used in the game.

Wide view of Philip Sheppard conducting the orchestra
Wide view of Philip Sheppard conducting the orchestra (Photo Credit: Tom Bowles)

Right out of the box kids can start making their own music. There are very simple rules to play. Lay out 4 cards. You can flip them over, mirror them vertically or horizontally and on each side in the top left corner is a number. Enter that number into the Compose Yourself site to pull up that piece of music. Once you have laid out four cards you can start the music playing to hear what you made. But that is not all you can then add three ore lines of four cards of music together and make a longer song. When you play it back you can then send it out via Social media or e-mail it to yourself. I emailed a couple of songs out to Allison so she could hear them.

Eva’s song – Second ShotContinue reading Review: Compose Yourself by ThinkFun

Maker Studio Creation – American Ocean

The American Ocean - Maker Studio ThinkFun
Photo-A-Day #3652

We received a Maker Studio Winches Kit from ThinkFun. Eva and I are part of the Maker Recruitment program and were given the task of using the kit to make something brand new. The idea behind these kits is that you use recycled materials to help build your creation.

With Eva, she had a an idea of making something super elaborate. I had to dial it back a bit to build something great but simple enough that we can do it together. We were in the car and there was an empty apple juice bottle caught my eye. I knew that we had two of them and the thought of a submarine popped into my head.

Using the wheels as propellors and then some connecting pieces to put them together. We had to use a drill to put some holes through the plastic of the bottles in order to put the rods through the bottles. We also used a couple of the gears together to make a handle with which to turn the winch.

Eva picked out the colors for the design and she named the submarine, “American Ocean”. Not sure where she got that name but that was her deal. Then we painted some bottle caps to make windows and also added a bubble on top with some LEGO pieces and a figure to drive the sub.

We are looking forward to more of these kits and want to build even more things with them. It was such a fun project.