Wondering how you are going to fit everything all in for the holidays might be quite a puzzle and playing with puzzles is today’s fun activity. Any puzzles at your house?
We sometimes forget that puzzles are toys. Most puzzles are made of wood, thick paper, or foam rubber and are available with only a very few pieces or many, many more. Definitely hands-on, they engage the senses and the brain. Besides seeing the ins and outs, feeling them helps to match up a piece to its empty space. The click when a piece snaps into place is quite satisfying.
Puzzles are a super way for kids to develop some thinking skills and strategies. Although they are a sort of construction toy, with puzzles the pieces only fit one way. What varies is how to put it together. Some children will pay closer attention to the shape while others will carefully check out the colors. Kids need to figure out to use both of these and other methods as well. Fiddling with pieces to make them fit also exercises small muscles and challenges eye-hand-brain coordination.
As kids try and retry, they are developing problem-solving and reasoning skills. Although putting a puzzle together can be frustrating, kids are learning to persevere. They are practicing patience and paying attention.
Pieces fit together in a relationship. While kids often do puzzles by themselves, there is also interaction as they ask for help or proudly ask us to come and see it all done.
Did you ever do puzzles as a child? Putting puzzles together used to be a popular activity for family members of all ages. Especially during the holidays. For some, it was a tradition for Santa to leave a Christmas present of a brand new puzzle under the tree. Everyone wanted to be able to put in the last piece. Puzzles can be done over and over, and enjoyed each time. Could playing with puzzles be one of your child’s plays-of-the-day?