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I have two completely opposite children. My daughter (6 years old) is a social butterfly that is concentrated, driven, and motivated. My son (5 years old) was diagnosed with Autism this past October. He’s hyperactive, brilliant, and strong willed. Even though my children are complete opposites, we have seen the benefits of jigsaw puzzles first hand!
Puzzles are fantastic for toddler and child development!
Here are 8 benefits of jigsaw puzzles for children:
- Concentration: A puzzle takes concentration to be able to figure out where the pieces go. Children develop concentration the more that they work on puzzles.
- Cognitive development: Puzzles can help teach children key pieces of information such as the alphabet and number recognition.
- Fine motor skills: Children are required to pick up, pinch, and grasp the pieces of puzzles in order to solve them. This helps develop their fine motor skills, which is so important in child development.
- Memory: Children are required to develop their memory when they are doing puzzles. For example, as the child solves the puzzle and the overall picture of the puzzle becomes apparent, the child will start to remember a puzzle piece that had the same colors, shapes, and other attributes as the picture on the puzzle.
- Problem solving skills: Toddlers and children must think about strategies on how to complete their puzzle. This takes time to develop and it prepares children for more challenging problem solving in the future.
- Hand-eye coordination: Children develop hand-eye coordination while practicing puzzles. The child has to visually see the piece, pick it up, and be able to put it on the exact right spot for it to fit together.
- Social skills: If more than one child works on the puzzle at one time, the children have to work together to solve the puzzle. This helps develop social skills.
- Self Esteem: Have you ever seen a child light up when he/she completes a task that they’ve been working on for a while? That’s exactly what you’ll find with puzzles. It gives the child a sense of accomplishment and pride.
It should be noted that many children do not solve puzzles the way adults solve puzzles. For example, most adults find the outside edges of the puzzle and finish that first and then move to the inside. Many children (who are doing smaller puzzles with bigger pieces) problem solve the puzzle by looking pieces with similar pictures on them.
Teaching options:
Hands On
Walk your child through the puzzle piece by piece. Be sure to talk to him/her the whole time, modeling how puzzles are solved.
Assisting when Needed
This method is for children who know the basics for solving puzzles but may get stuck along the way.
- As you watch your child solve the puzzle, look for frustration or signs that your child may be stuck.
- Allow them to struggle for a brief moment and then assist. Don’t assist by putting the puzzle piece down where it’s supposed to go and then saying “look”! I suggest assisting by picking up a puzzle piece and verbally pointing out a clue that is on the piece that may help him/her connect to the correct spot to put the piece.
- Example: “Look Grayson, this piece has a dinosaur body with SPOTS! Do you see somewhere that it could fit that also has spots?”
Independent
Allow your child to work his/her puzzle without your help. You can even walk away so that the child feels independent during the task.
Are you parenting a special needs child? Check out some additional information about how puzzles can benefit children with special needs here!
Here are some fantastic puzzles that we love in our house!
Peg Jigsaw Puzzles
24 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles
48 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles
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