Puzzles are one of the oldest pastimes for children, and there is very good reason parents have been purchasing them nonstop for many generations. Besides giving parents quiet time to do housework or just relax, there are many benefits for children who regularly play with puzzles of all varieties.

Mental Stimulation
Puzzles are a constant source of mental stimulation for children of all ages, even if they are simply reworking the same puzzle over and over again. They have to think through the best strategy for fitting the pieces together, such as doing the edges first and filling in the middle or vice versa. They are also challenged from the first piece to the last as they try to locate specific pieces and match the connecting parts up so they resemble the picture on the box.

Even electronic toys and educational games currently on the market can rarely compete with the consistent challenge presented by a simple puzzle.

Hand-Eye Coordination
Developing hand-eye coordination is extremely important for younger children, and puzzles are a great way to do it! The reason small children have to use oversized puzzle pieces and try a bit harder to fit them together is because they haven’t yet developed the coordination required to skillfully put together a puzzle with small pieces.

Babies start out with wooden peg puzzles with their tiny hands being guided by a parent. With time they are able to match the shapes and do those puzzles on their own, then graduate to oversized floor puzzles and eventually to the small pieces of 500+ piece puzzles. This is a reflection of the gradual development of hand and eye coordination.

Reasoning & Problem Solving Skills
Solving a puzzle also demands problem solving and reasoning skills. Children are constantly confronted with small problems that must be solved in order to complete the puzzle successfully. For instance, when it comes down to those last few missing pieces which are all similarly colored, the child must determine which one goes in which spot. This is usually done by process of elimination, trying one piece in each hole until it fits somewhere.

With time, children are able to solve these little problems much faster.

Creative Interest
Many children also are sparked to creative activities by working puzzles. They enjoy looking at the pictures on the box and of the completed puzzle and will maybe feel led to draw, paint, and color pictures that are similar in nature.

Many children latch onto particular types of puzzles, such as a child who loves animals and the child who likes bright red fire engines. While developing all of the above skills, puzzles often open a doorway to creativity as well.

Quality Time Together
Finally, puzzles are often a great pastime that families can enjoy together. Sitting over a difficult puzzle parents are able to get their children to open up to them and talk about things they would be more timid about in other situations. This is because their mind is distracted and they are doing an enjoyable activity while chit chatting casually.

Obviously, children and parents alike have many reasons to enjoy working puzzles! From developing real life skills for young toddlers to giving older children something relaxing and enjoyable to do on a rainy afternoon, there are obviously many reasons generations of parents have purchased puzzles for their children!

A baby learns to recognize objects by their shape and not necessarily what position the object is in. A chair is a chair whether it is upright, lying down, or upside down-it doesn’t matter. The simple puzzles produced for younger children develop more refined and defined skills and recognition.

One of the first things a young child will learn is that it does matter which way up the pieces to fit in the hole. A typical early childhood puzzle is wooden with a picture and has spaces where the pieces fit to complete the picture. With a street scene, for example, there might be a separate car shape, bus shape, and a truck shape that complete a puzzle. These puzzles are typically robust as the first response of a child is to try to force the piece into place taking no notice of its shape. With adult guidance the young child learns to manipulate the piece until it does fit exactly.

There are several learning experiences that can be drawn from these very basic puzzles. Firstly it’s the hand eye coordination to manipulate the puzzle piece into position. To get the piece in also involves observation of the shape of the hole and the shape of the puzzle piece. At first the child deals with the problem by trial and error. The example and guidance of an adult begins to solidify the thinking process. The child starts to apply spatial awareness and mental manipulation as well as physical. This comes however, after the child has learned to put the piece in correctly through trial and error and memory.

The role of the adult at this stage is very important. The conversation about the picture, talking and demonstrating the correct method to complete it, accelerates the child’s learning process. Puzzles can create a great opportunity for increase in vocabulary, and recognition of objects and situations outside the child’s immediate world. The fact that the child learns that the piece only fits one way is in fact a pre reading skill. A letter needs to be the right way up and not backwards or upside down in a word.

These early childhood puzzles can be purchased in varying degrees of difficulty as the child’s spatial and reasoning skills become more developed. The child also learns through puzzles the recognition of color and shape with, of course, adult conversation increasing the potential of the child’s understanding and development. The green shape only fits in the green hole. This type of matching activity develops early reading skills.

At this stage it is good to introduce a new puzzle and do it with the child at first. Make this a happy social time and lots of fun. Do the puzzles with the child long enough to maintain the child’s interest and attention, but be ready to move on to another activity. Eventually when the child’s dexterity and confidence has increased, he will want to do it by himself. With praise and encouragement the child will practice until the skills become familiar. Then is the time to introduce puzzles with greater challenge.