Physical development - Fine Motor

• Doing puzzles helps your child develop hand-eye co-ordination (using eyes and hands together);
• Puzzles help your child to develop fine motor skills through using muscles in the thumb and the forefinger to pick up puzzle pieces.

Emotional Development

• Puzzles allow your child to demonstrate pride in accomplishments and a sense of achievement.

Social Development

• Puzzles help your child to learn skills involved in sharing and turn taking – they can work independently, help someone else, or seek adult assistance (these skills will also help your child to develop confidence).

Cognitive Development

• Puzzles help your child to develop skills which will aid them in problem solving (eg. This piece doesn’t fit here but if I turn it around it does!);
• Jigsaw puzzles provide skills for learning to read – the concentration involved in working out what shape fits which holes, while keeping an eye on the complete picture, uses similar skills.
• Puzzles give your child experience in relating parts to the whole – this becomes an important maths concept.
• Puzzles allow for the development of spatial awareness – knowing sizes and where things will fit.

Language Development

• Language is developed through handling puzzles and by using relevant vocabulary;
• By relating to the actual picture and describing or predicting what the picture will become;
• Describing methods needed to complete the puzzle eg. I need a curvy\straight piece;
• Using language by describing the thought processes involved as the puzzle is being completed ("talking themselves through" the problem).

What Puzzles Can I Provide at Home?

Artwork Puzzles

• Cover a piece of your child’s artwork on both sides with clear contact. Cut the picture into three, four or five pieces (depending on the level that your child is at). Now your child has a puzzle that is all their own work.

Shape Puzzle

• Find a thick piece of cardboard and cut two or three small shapes out of the middle with something sharp. Attach a string loop or a pipe cleaner handle to each shape. Put the shapes back into their holes. Now you have a shape puzzle.

Photo Puzzle

• Take photo’s of your child or familiar places. Glue each photo to a piece of cardboard, and cover both sides with clear contact. Cut each photo into two or three simple puzzle pieces. Your child can now put together the puzzle and will enjoy describing the person or the scene to you. A variation to this is to use magazine pictures instead of photos. Make sure your child selects the picture to be turned into a puzzle.

Puzzles for Babies (0-1 years)

• At this stage, shape sorters and/ or 1 piece puzzles are perfect to start encouraging your baby's problem solving skills for puzzles.
• Nesting and Stacking cups are also fantastic for establishing 'what fits'?