All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Tetris

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Tetris was released in June 1984 (!) and I remember playing it for hours as a kid. Car trips would not have been the same without my Game Boy playing that awesome music and sound of victory when rows cleared. Nowadays, some of my strongest students struggle with geometry units. Playing Tetris (the old school way, not the new version that shows all of the different orientations of each four-block shapes) teaches about rotations and translations. Remember how the panel showed the shape that was coming next? This taught how to plan ahead. I’ve recently come to realize that playing Tetris as a kid has helped me in my everyday, parenting life. Here are some concrete examples.

  1. Dishes. Every single day. Perhaps one of the most utilized (okay, potentially ‘abused’) kitchen appliances, you need to make the most of your dishwasher space – partially in order to free up room in the sink for emergencies. Between all of the tupperware, bottles, plates, utensils, pots and pans – it’s a delicate balance. I’ve been known to un-do someone else’s loading of the dishwasher.
  2. Lunchboxes/Backpacks. Ice packs. Bento boxes. Snacks. Juice boxes. Why are lunch boxes so small sometimes? Also, winter backpacks stress me out. Between boots, snow pants, hats, gloves and the aforementioned food items, my 5 year old tilts backwards as he walks. It may be heavy, but at least it’s organized.
  3. Bookshelves. I think that we have a lot of storage space but I still find myself piecing together oddly shaped puzzles with oblong game boards, crayon boxes and books of all shapes and sizes. I try to keep most games in their boxes in order to make them more stack-able but I purchased some cloth storage bins for omnifix cubes, bristle blocks, and other building supplies that came in inconvenient storage containers.
  4. Moving. My husband and I moved five times in six years. Ugh. We only hired an official moving company once. (Still bitter? Nah….) Most of the work was done by us and my (awesome!) dad. This was large, real life, heavy Tetris with some fragile artwork and oddly shaped items. By the last time, we were pretty much experts – just don’t ask us to move again. Please?
  5. Closets. Shoes, boxes, jackets, space for hangers. Ugh. It’s tiring just thinking about! Like Keira (post here), I keep tupperware on the floor for ‘too old’ items.

What other ways do you use Tetris-skills in your everyday life?

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Julie P
Julie is a full-time 5th grade teacher, full-time mommy, part-time runner and resident of Ridgefield! Originally from Colorado, she grew up in SW Fairfield County and got married in 2008. They spent a few years south of the Mason-Dixon, got a dog, and returned to CT to raise their family. A former collegiate tennis player, she loves staying active and finding ways to get outside with her two boys (Oliver - February 2011 and Miles - October 2013). When she's not grading papers, playing racecars, or training for a race, Julie is trying to cook healthy meals for her (picky) family, keep their golden retriever out of trouble, take photos, stay organized and save some money to buy a fixer-upper.

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