Strategic Play with Purpose: How Trigahex Enhances Occupational Therapy

Incorporating play into therapeutic practice can offer powerful results. Trigahex, an award-winning strategic card game, is increasingly being recognised for its benefits in supporting both fine motor development and cognitive engagement across a wide range of ages and abilities.

Whether used in one-on-one sessions, small groups, or community-based programs, Trigahex aligns seamlessly with evidence-based approaches that emphasise engagement, motivation, and functional outcomes. With its STEM accreditation and prestigious “Best in STEM” award (granted to only the top 5% of educational resources), Trigahex offers more than fun - it offers a structured, purposeful tool for therapeutic progress.

Trigahex is a visually stimulating, fast-paced card game in which players place triangular cards to complete hexagonal shapes. It combines logic, spatial awareness, and pattern recognition in a way that’s highly engaging without requiring prior experience.

The game supports flexible use in different settings: it can be played solo, in pairs or triples, and allows for quick adaptation depending on age, ability, and therapeutic goal.

Trigahex’s strengths lie in its versatility. With no text, minimal setup, and intuitive rules, it offers a low barrier to entry while fostering rich opportunities for skill development.

Manipulating and placing the triangle cards involves wrist stability, finger isolation, and bilateral coordination. Each card placement is an opportunity to practise:

• Precision grasp and release
• Finger strength and control
• Eye-hand coordination
• Crossing the midline

Unlike repetitive drills, Trigahex encourages these movements naturally, within a motivating context. Players are often unaware of how much motor work they’re doing because they’re focused on strategy and completion.

These cognitive functions are key in daily living activities and academic success—and Trigahex nurtures them in a playful, low-pressure environment.

Trigahex challenges players to think ahead, spot patterns, and calculate the best moves to complete a hexagon. Core cognitive processes are activated, including:

• Working memory
• Visual scanning and attention
• Problem-solving and reasoning
• Strategic planning
• Flexible thinking

These cognitive functions are key in daily living activities and academic success—and Trigahex nurtures them in a playful, low-pressure environment.

Trigahex has found its way into a variety of clinical and educational settings. Here are a few ways practitioners are incorporating Trigahex in Occupational Therapy:

• Warm-up activity: A quick round of Trigahex to build rapport and ease into a session.
• Group intervention: Used with small groups to practise turn-taking, frustration tolerance, and shared goals.
• Individual work: Targeting visual-motor integration and sequencing in a one-on-one context.
• Family-based therapy: Encouraging carryover at home, where parents and siblings can play too.
• School-based intervention: Useful in therapy rooms and classrooms alike, supporting curriculum goals in a hands-on way.

Because of its open-ended format, Trigahex can be scaled up or down. Short games of one hexagon work well with younger or lower-attention players. Longer games using two or three hexagons offer depth for older students and adults.

Games provide a social anchor that encourages conversation, eye contact, and emotional regulation. Trigahex excels here too:

• Supports turn-taking and impulse control
• Offers teachable moments around winning and losing
• Builds self-confidence through visible progress
• Promotes interaction between generations

It’s equally at home in therapy rooms, classrooms, aged care settings, and family living rooms.

Trigahex is STEM-accredited and has earned the “Best in STEM” 2024–2025 award - an honour given to just the top 5% of STEM resources.

Why is this important in therapy?

STEM games integrate critical thinking, problem-solving, and system-based logic. These skills are deeply relevant not only in academic pathways but in functional daily living. Trigahex allows for repeated practice of these cognitive functions in a format that feels like fun—not work.

Trigahex adapts to different therapy goals and session formats:

• Solo play builds personal focus and persistence.
• Pairs allow for modelling, support, and co-regulation.
• Teams introduce social elements like collaboration and silent planning.
• Tournaments can be used to motivate larger groups and track progress over time.

The silent communication rule in team play is particularly valuable. It removes reliance on verbal instruction and instead strengthens non-verbal planning, visual cues, and memory—useful in neurodiverse populations and for supporting executive functioning.

While it’s excellent for school-aged children, Trigahex is equally effective with teens, adults, and older populations. For adults recovering from injury, stroke, or surgery, it supports upper limb function and cognitive retraining in a non-intimidating format. For older adults, it encourages:

• Sustained mental engagement
• Social connection
• Memory stimulation

The game’s aesthetic and tone are inclusive—not childish or overly clinical—which helps it resonate across generations.

To simplify implementation, Trigahex offers downloadable resources:

• Game instructions 
• Tournament sign-up pages
• Result pages
• Grade-based tournament notices (for school use)

These tools make it easier to slot Trigahex into therapy plans without extra prep.

Sessions stay client-centred, focused, and efficient.