Yesterday when I went to pick up my son from daycare, he was playing and having a great time. The teacher was letting all of the kids in his classroom play with puzzles and my son was trying very hard to get the puzzle pieces into the right spot. It was fun to watch him play and learn a new skill. I haven’t considered buying him any puzzles but he does have a shape sorter in his toy box to play with. He loves to figure things out and study them to see how things go together.
Disclosure: This post is for informational purposes only. Any opinions reflected in this post are my own and may differ from your opinion.
Babies Can Play With Puzzles Too
There are puzzles out there for every stage of development including young babies. A younger baby may not realize that a shape sorter is a puzzle. You can begin teaching your child where the pieces go and show them how to turn the pieces so that they fit into the matching shape. A baby might not understand that they have to manipulate the pieces; instead, start out by allowing your child to show you where the piece goes by pointing to it. I remember that I used to put the shape where it belonged and held it over the opening on the shape sorter. Then I would let my child push the puzzle piece into the hole. This taught them that the piece only goes into a certain spot. Children learn by example and by playing. As your child gets older, you can slowly introduce more puzzles into their play sessions.
Comments
11 responses to “Why Do Puzzles Make Great Learning Tools?”
Love your blog. This is another example of what children are learning through play.
Marcie, thank you for your encouraging comment. Yes, you can teach children lots of things while playing and kids won’t even realize that they are learning new things.
Many people don’t realize the importnance of learning through play. Playing allows them to be creative and to have fun while learning. Makes learning more enjoyable.
I agree, wooden puzzles have better quality than rubber/plastic ones. They’re pricier but the quality makes up for the price tag. 🙂
I agree, the paper ones get torn up easily.
So true. My mother, a parent educator and former teacher/professor, and my grandmother, who was also a teacher, were always bringing us puzzles for the kids. They always stressed how even when they seem too tiny to understand how puzzles get their little wheels turning, they are excellent learning tools. I wish I enjoyed them more as an adult, actually! I love to watch people who are really good at it put them together quickly.
Rhonda you are correct you can teach them colors, teach them what the objects are on the puzzle, and puzzles also help improve their fine motor skills.
My sons love puzzles and my oldest is 13, but he doesn't like the ones with tons of pieces because he grows tired of them before he gets them done. He would love the family to work a puzzle together. Thanks for the idea – looks like we need to pull one out on the dining room table for a little while and just work on it now and then.
That sounds like fun Bobbie. I hope you and your kids enjoy working on some puzzles.
We love puzzles here! Infact my 3.5 yr old awes me with his ability! Sometimes better than mommies!LOL
[…] Puzzles and games are a wonderful way to keep your children engaged indoors. They also helpenhance their brain development and problem solving skills. You could also go for board games and memory games; again, both will entertainment them and at the same time improve their skills. […]