Educational Benefits of Puzzles
Why give puzzles as gifts?
As well as providing family fun, the educational benefits of puzzles are many. When children play with puzzles they develop vocabulary, eye hand coordination, small muscle development and eye hand coordination. As children construct the puzzles, they improve their memory, increase their problem solving skills, build spatial perception and literacy skills.
Puzzles and Vocabulary development
When teaching basic puzzle skills use words such as straight, curved, edge, inside, outside, above, below, beside.
Teaching puzzle skills to children
Teach the child that lots of puzzles (not all) have a straight edge on the outside, to look for similar colors, and parts that relate to each other.
Start with simple puzzles with few pieces and allow the child to be successful before moving on to a more difficult puzzle. Although it is tempting to point out which piece goes where, give the children plenty of time to figure it out themselves. Only assist when asked. Children like to repeat the same puzzle over and over again.
Although developmental levels vary with kids, look for the following criteria when buying puzzles for beginners.
- large pieces
- sturdy pieces (kids force them to fit together)
- puzzles with one or two pieces (match chick with hen)
- pictures that are easy to recognize
- non-toxic paint and products, products that pass safety standards
Educational Benefits of Puzzles - Types of Puzzles
There are many different types of puzzles available to keep children interested. Galison Mudpuppy produces a number of different style puzzles for children that are non-toxic and meet safety tests.
A few types available are:
- two piece puzzles
- tray puzzles
- theme based puzzles
- 20 piece puzzles with familiar objects
- 6 sided block puzzles
- large floor puzzles
- 36 piece puzzles with smaller pieces
Visit the kindergarten-lessons.com store to purchase puzzles.
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