Shape notes
Shashibo Explorer and Wild Series: Every Design Here
The Shashibo Explorer Series (Earth, Moon, Undersea, two 4 packs) and Wild Series (Arctic, Savannah, Jungle, Forest): what each looks like and how they pair.
Two of the most loved Shashibo lines are about the world around us. The Explorer Series looks outward, to planets, moons and the deep sea. The Wild Series looks at habitats, from the frozen north to the rainforest. Both are classic DODECA cubes with 36 magnets and 100+ shapes, so the choice comes down to which landscape you want to fold.
Explorer Series
Explorer is about curiosity. The designs on our shelf:
- Earth: land-and-sea tones drawn from our home world. Every fold feels like a tiny globe-trot.
- Moon: pale lunar grays with a quiet, nighttime feel, good for calm fidgeting before bed.
- Undersea: a watery design from beneath the waves.
Earth and Moon make a natural sky-and-ground pair, and Undersea completes an Explorer trio. All three connect through their outer magnets into one build.
Explorer 4 Packs
If you want several Explorer cubes at once, there are two four-packs. The Explorer Series 4 Pack and the Explorer Series 4 Pack with an alternate lineup each hold four Explorer DODECA cubes, around $70 each at the time of writing. They are a quick way to start a themed collection, and owners of both can join them into an eight-cube build that stretches across a desk.
Wild Series
The Wild Series is built around four habitats, and it is designed as a set.
- Arctic: a cool, wintry palette for kids who love snowy wildlife.
- Savannah: golden, sun-baked tones that bring open plains to your palm.
- Jungle: lush rainforest greens.
- Forest: calm woodland greens and earthy tones.
Each one connects with the other three, and together they form a four-habitat set. Jungle and Forest pair naturally as two shades of green; Arctic and Savannah give a cold-and-warm contrast.
Explorer or Wild?
Both lines suit curious kids and calm adults alike. A few ways to decide:
- Space and science fans: Explorer, especially Earth and Moon.
- Ocean lovers: Explorer Undersea.
- Animal and nature lovers: Wild, with Savannah and Jungle as favorites for young safari fans.
- Want a ready-made set in one box: an Explorer 4 Pack.
- Want to collect one cube at a time: Wild, since four singles complete the habitat set.
Mix the two lines
Nothing stops you from crossing over. Earth from Explorer and Forest from Wild make a lovely land-themed pair. Undersea and Arctic lean cool and watery. Blue Planet from the Original Series also pairs easily with green Wild or Explorer cubes if you want a third tone in the mix. And for shimmer, set the Holographic Polar beside Arctic.
Build ideas for nature sets
Start with the official collect and connect examples and give them a theme.
- Fold Earth into a star and Moon into a ball, then place the ball in the star's hole for a little planet-and-satellite piece.
- Fold all four Wild cubes into stars and join them; four stars combine into a large hexagonal sculpture.
- Stack three or four cubes into a rhombic tower and call it a lookout.
For teachers and parents
These two series make good learning props because the themes are easy to talk about. Earth, Moon and Undersea open a conversation about the planet; the four Wild habitats invite questions about where animals live. The cubes themselves are silent and screen-free, so they sit well on a classroom table. Remember the basics: ages 8 and up, magnets inside, and keep them away from small children and electronic devices.
Folding tips for first-timers
If one of these is your first Shashibo, start with the official opening. A Shashibo can only be opened on 2 of its 8 corners; find one, pull it gently open like a pistachio, and you are holding a crown. Open the closed corner of the crown and you have a star with a hexagonal hole in the middle. From there, the official beginner route continues to hive, pyramid and a flat hexagonal disc.
Do not rush. Let the cube fold through itself until you feel the magnets connect; that click is how you know a shape has landed. If a move resists, back up one step instead of forcing it. And when you want to close up again, use the outer pattern as a guide. With the Explorer and Wild designs that is especially easy, because the outside art is so distinct: you can see the landscape snap back into place.
Whichever world you pick, the fold is the same: open a corner, find the crown, find the star, and keep exploring.
