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Can anyone help me remember this puzzle/toy?

6 replies

Ohmeohmyohme · 12/10/2025 19:09

I worked in a nursery and sometime between 2007-2012 (I think!!) I bought a toy for the children in the nursery. Each piece was a couple of cm thick and made of acrylic/Perspex. There were lots of transparent swirling shapes in different colours as well as small circles and you got stickers of eyes to put on the shapes. It was very rounded and incredibly tactile. I’m pretty sure I bought them from a habitat store in London and they were part of a designer range of toys I think. I would love to find some for a child in my life who had special needs and would love them, I’ve searched and searched the internet but had no luck. I wondered if anyone else remembers them as I could possibly track them down if someone could remember the name.

thank you!

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LadyCurd · 12/10/2025 19:12

ChatGPT says: I think you’re remembering Miller Goodman’s PlayShapes.
Why it fits, curvy rounded pieces, small circles, a designer line sold in London around 2009, and it came with “eyes” bits so kids could make creatures. Habitat stocked designer kids’ toys like this then. Pics and write-ups mention eyes among the pieces, not just plain blocks.

If your memory of see-through acrylic is the key detail, you might be mixing it with Patrick Rylands’ Playplax, the classic transparent Perspex construction set Habitat-ish families loved. It’s very tactile, colorful, and from the same design-y universe, but it didn’t come with eyes.

How to track one down fast

  • Search terms, “Miller Goodman PlayShapes 74 pieces,” or just “Miller Goodman Playshapes” on eBay, Etsy, Vinted, Facebook Marketplace. The product pages show exactly the shapes you described.
  • If you want the see-through effect, look for “Playplax squares and rings,” vintage or reissue.
  • For a modern SEN-friendly dupe, grab TickiT translucent loose parts or Rainbow Pebbles and add a roll of eye stickers. Zero splinters, high sensory appeal.

Gut check, were your pieces wooden with color on one side, or truly see-through? If wood, it’s almost certainly PlayShapes. If acrylic, it’s Playplax, and you can add eye stickers to recreate the vibe.

Ohmeohmyohme · 12/10/2025 19:18

Thank you! That’s really kind. I’ve googled both of those and it isn’t those, I’ll keep
looking I never thought of chatgpt!

There was no wood on them and they were very thick shapes.

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LadyCurd · 12/10/2025 19:34

Ah I had high hopes. It now says Got it, acrylic and chunky, not wood. Two likely modern matches that feel the same in-hand, even if they didn’t originally come with eyes:

  • TickiT Color Crystal Block Set thick, polished acrylic, lots of rounded swirly shapes and circles, gorgeous on a light panel. Add a sheet of eye stickers to recreate the vibe.
  • edx education Transparent Attribute Blocks translucent Perspex-style pieces, circles and curves included, very tactile. Again, pair with eye stickers.

If you want a bigger variety of organic pebble shapes, try Rainbow Pebbles, translucent version, then add eye stickers. Kids with sensory needs love the smooth texture.

Fast track to find the original
Search these phrases on eBay, Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, and Etsy, “tickit crystal acrylic blocks,” “edx transparent attribute blocks,” “translucent rainbow pebbles.” If it was a Habitat exclusive, those searches often surface it without the Habitat name.

Ultra-specific leads you can try today

  • Post a pic-less “toy ID” request in UK early years forums or r/HelpMeFind, mention “Habitat, 2007 to 2012, thick Perspex shapes with eye stickers.” That time window helps collectors zero in.
  • Check teaching suppliers too, many stocked what Habitat rebranded. TickiT and edx are the usual suspects.

Quick sanity check, were any pieces magnetised, or used on a light panel? A yes nudges us even closer to the sets above. If not, I’ll keep sleuthing and try a different angle.

Ohmeohmyohme · 12/10/2025 19:49

Thank you again! No none of the pieces were magnetised and I think they were too thick for a light panel. I’ve got some lovely ideas for alternatives from the suggestions you posted above though so will keep looking but at least I’ve got ap
e alternative options!! Thank you

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