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Jun 02 2014

Puzzles For Little People

mdpuzzleSpring and summer do have occasional rainy day, when it’s fun for kids (and parents) to huddle inside and watch the raindrops the pelting the windows.  On rainy days, old standbys such as paint-by-number kits, lanyard (remember that?), and of course puzzle-making make good activities for school-age children. Really young children (ages 1-3) can also benefit from puzzles.

When children put puzzles together it may help improve:

 

  • Eye-hand coordination
  • Visual perceptual skills
  • Problem solving skills

These skills are a necessary part of normal brain development.  In fact, they help prepare your very young child for school. And most children love to work on puzzles.

(This blogger lists 42 benefits of puzzle making! Who knew?)mdpuzzle2

The Puzzle Progression

If you decide that puzzles-making sounds like a good choice for your child, how do you maximize the benefits?

There is a progression of types of puzzles, from simple to complex, that children generally need to take step-by-step.

You’ll notice I’ve linked most types to examples on Amazon.com so that you can get a feel for the type of puzzle I’m referring to:

  • Large knobbed puzzles (3-5 pieces)
  • Small knobbed puzzles with matching pictures on the board
  • Interlocking puzzles with the entire picture on the board
  • Interlocking without a matching picture on the board
  • 12-piece jigsaw puzzle

Over time, increasing the number of pieces and decreasing their size is what makes puzzle making more challenging.

As always, enjoy sharing this activity together with your children, and have a wonderful week.

 

Written by Miriam Manela · Categorized: Advice, Play, Thrive! Blog · Tagged: brain development, children ages 1-3, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, games, Miriam Manela, problem solving skills, puzzle, school age children, toys, visual perception skills

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