It’s that time of year when we as parents love to buy toys for our kids. I am a big fan of puzzles, and not just because they are developmentally important. Puzzles are also fun! I have tried to provide lots of puzzles for my kids through the years. I love seeing the progress of their understanding. I realized a couple of months ago that we hadn’t played with puzzles for awhile with Georgiana. I loved seeing her problem solve and progress in her ability. I love this article from Child Development Institute about why puzzles are so important. They share how puzzles help with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, problem solving, shape recognition, memory and setting small goals. I know as I have watched my kids play with puzzles I can see them grow and learn. It’s important that we remember that children learn by playing. We need to give them the tools, or toys, to help them learn. I see so many toys these days with so many bells and whistles and lights. Those kind of toys teach kids to observe and sit there. I want my kids to be engaged while playing. I want them to use their imaginations and not just to be entertained.
Let me share some of my favorite kind of puzzles.
These are the first step kind of puzzles. (Similar one found here) Large pieces, matching pictures below, and big knobs for little hands. I invested in these puzzles while Gandalf was a baby. LOVE them! We use them all the time. Matching the sea creature piece to the sea creature shape is a huge achievement. Then your child has to fit it in that space. You might be tempted to “help” them but letting them struggle is important. It teaches perseverance and that they can do hard things. Sometimes I will give them a prompting to “turn it” to help them learn they can rotate the piece to help it fit. After awhile your child will be able to do these puzzles easily. And don’t forget to talk about these creatures and teach them their names and what they eat or where they live.
More fun puzzles! These puzzles also have pictures below to help your child match but notice the smaller knobs. (Similar found here!)This will help your child’s fine motor skills to develop. These puzzles are for an older child. And to make things a little more advance, when they are ready for it, I will have the farm animals and the pet animals mixed together with both boards next to each other. This helps my child to have to think a little more on where the animal belongs. You may notice two different horses. Again these are tricks to try once they have master completing the puzzle. (Ocean fishing ones found here)
This puzzle was a hand me down and we LOVE it!!! So many different kinds of vehicles. This one is great for teaching variety and what each car does to help us. Or you can make the different sounds each car or vehicle might make. And you will notice how there isn’t an image below the piece. You have to solve it by trial and error or by the outlining shape. Having a large variety of puzzles helps your child not get bored and keeps them challenged.
This puzzle right now is perfect for Georgiana (2) and Yoda (5). It’s great for Georgiana for learning and identifying her letters. And it’s great for Yoda who is a beginning reader. I love spelling simple words and having him sound them out. We also review what sound that letter makes. The colorful pictures that match the letters are also a win win! I love having alphabet puzzles!
This is a favorite right now for Georgiana because she loves The Little Mermaid. I am so thankful for my friend Melanie who gave us a bunch of older puzzles like this. These puzzles are a little bit more of a challenge but great for kids to have to put together using the picture. And sturdy wooden puzzles last forever!
Other Fun Ways to Play with Puzzles
- Mix them up! Challenge yourself or your child with using different puzzles at a time. This is especially fun when you have two different ocean puzzles or more than one alphabet puzzle. This is a great way to make puzzles fun for older kids who need more of a challenge.
- Set a timer! Challenge your older kids to complete a puzzle in a record time. I love the timer on my iPhone! Kids love competition. They can try to beat their own time or even yours.
- Organize and find patterns. You can sort your pieces by color, size, or their picture. You can make patterns or create a picture.
- Tell a story. Using your puzzle pieces to create a story. You can even do this as a family and switch every 30 seconds on who is telling the story. My kids love doing things like that.
And the good news is that today only there is a major discount on Melissa and Doug products. I love their sturdy wooden puzzles and creative designs. I have had mine for 10+ years and they have held up great. Find some here. And they even have fun products like these cookies that Georgiana would be crazy for!
Our family loves this set as well. Remember to get your children educational toys that will promote self play, imagination, and encourage thinking. And don’t forget older kids need puzzles too. Draco was all about these sets for while. He was so good at solving them. And we love doing large puzzle like this as a family. Not only is it a perfect Sunday activity but it gives you the opportunity to talk while you are working together. Everyone’s brain is blessed when we do puzzles. And after four kids I know I need all the help I can get. ; )
Some of these items are affiliated links. You are welcomed to buy from anywhere. But I don’t mind if you buy them from here. I only share items I really like or use. Thanks for your support!
