Today we will be making a homemade puzzle for children. This can be modified based on your child’s level of ability and interests. Playing with puzzles has significant benefits on children's development – such as solving problems, enriching their language, fine motor and hand-eye coordination abilities. 

What You will Need 

Process 

Tip: Depending on your child’s ability, they can prepare the puzzle by tracing the outline of materials. You can also vary the items of the puzzle to suit your child’s interest. For example, animals, letters, tools, etc. 

 

Engaging with Your Child 

Begin this activity by saying to your child “Uh-Oh! I have a problem I need to solve. Can you help me put back together this puzzle? I wonder where the spoon fits”. Give your child the opportunity to explore the items and to test out which items fit in the appropriate outlines. Resist the urge to tell them how to do it. This will give them the chance to think and develop strategies on how to achieve their goal. Puzzles are a great way to enrich a child’s vocabulary. Find opportunities to ask them to describe each item and what we use it for. For example, “Hmmm, what do we use this spatula for?”. Lastly, puzzles are a great way to refine a child’s fine motor abilities and to practice hand-eye coordination. It takes a lot of effort for young children to grasp an item and manipulate it to move a certain direction to try to fit it in the outline. Praise your child’s efforts and celebrate that sense of accomplishment and pride they receive once they complete the puzzle.