I'm currently taking Orff level II (FINALLY) and as we're talking about basic rhythm building blocks and cadences vs. connectors, I can't wait to present these topics clearly with my students using my blocks. My students are already used to using empty bases as a way to conduct and remember where they're at in their improvisation, but by adding "so" or "do" at the end of a phrase they have a visual representation of when and where that note should happen for either a cadence (ending on do) or a connector (ending on so). They're free to improvise, but they can keep track of their tonal centers as they go. In addition, students can freely improvise with the two-beat building block combinations, as seen in the attached picture. They know what their choices are, and THEY get to play and discover how many combinations there are. Once again, Beat Blocks make a good visual for what you're already teaching. But the blocks don't do the teaching - YOU do. Pedagogy first, people.
*My brilliant Orff teach Brian Burnett told us that you take the number of note types (quarter and eighth, for example), and and square it, and that's how many combinations there are.