Why puzzles should be introduced to toddlers ?

As a kid , while growing up, I used to love making Jigsaw puzzles. I used immense concentration and completing it fast gave me great satisfaction. It boosted up my self confidence.

In simple language, a puzzle is a game , problem or  toy that tests a person's knowledge.In a puzzle, the solver is expected to come to put pieces together in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct solution of the puzzle. A jigsaw puzzle consists of small irregularly cut pieces that are to be fitted together to form a picture. Any kind of pictures can be used to form a jigsaw puzzle.

Small babies find it difficult to put together pieces, but you can start by doing stacking activities with them, or putting objects in a large container, sorting blocks of different colours. You can start these activities with babies when they are about 10 months old. There are some puzzles available with matching pictures underneath each picture, to support their eye, hand and visual perception skills.

  

Wooden Puzzles and plastic puzzles with knobs are the best for kids who are one year old. They can easily pick up the pieces and put them . You get variety of option to choose from, - Farm Animals, Wild Animals, Fruits, Vegetables, Transport, Shapes, Colours. You can buy 2-3 puzzles initially, sit and teach your child, then let him put the pieces back himself.

                                                       

For kids, aged 2-3 years, you can introduce number and alphabet puzzles. Also at this stage you can introduce 12 piece puzzle to them.  You can keep 4-5 different puzzles and keep rotating. You get lots of different types of puzzles for 2-3 year olds, like fruits, vegetables, counting, alphabet matching, complex shapes, pattern making.

Floor puzzles with big pieces are also very good for kids. A child, 3 years of age can easily put together a 20-30 piece puzzle over time.

It is very important to introduce puzzles to kids because:

1. They help in improving hand eye coordination of the children.

2. They are very helpful in developing their cognitive skills. It helps them to think, use their logic and put pieces together.

3. Solving puzzles helps to improve short term memory. It helps in reinforcing connections between the brain cells. It improves mental speed and thought processes.

4. It gives the children a sense of achievement that they have accomplished something.

5. It improves their problem solving skills.

6. if a child is cranky and is bored, puzzles are one of the best ways to distract him, It improves 

their mood.

7. Jigsaw puzzles are reusable. You can use them a number of times.

I introduced puzzles to my son when he was eleven months old. I would like to suggest all mothers to use jigsaw puzzles with their children to enhance their mental faculties.

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