Solving Puzzles

Solving puzzles has many benefits for children. There are hundreds of different varieties of puzzles one can come across. Every puzzle teaches and improves different skills in kids. Puzzle teaches kids about the concept of whole and introduces them to bigger, better picture.

One way to help children to cope up with lockdown and pandemic is to divert them to different kind of activities. Activities that make children to engross and keep mind occupied will help them to discover and grow hidden skills.

Advantage of solving puzzles in kids:

1. Increases physical coordination: Improves hand to eye coordination
2. Problem solving, memory skills and judgement skills will improve
3. When siblings and friends participate with your kids to solve puzzles it helps them to build good attitude towards teamwork. It improves their communication skills too.
4. When a child achieves the goal, it brings sense of accomplishment and they will look forward for more challenge. It builds self-esteem.
5. Puzzles helps to build child’s memory. Practicing and playing puzzles improves concentration and improves memory.
6. Fine motor skills – some puzzles require hand movement. Using hands to fix the puzzle pieces improves hand muscle strength as well as develop fine motor skills.
7. Teaches patience- Dealing with puzzles teaches them to be patient and they will know solving problem will give good feeling.

While at home during the pandemic, give varieties of puzzles to your child. Help them to solve it. This might also move their attention from bright screen.  Take advantage of this time to bond with your child and understand the hidden skills in your child.  

Below we are sharing few simple puzzles to age group 5-12. Let your child start with simplest puzzle.  Give direction and guide them initially. You will be surprised to see the how well child will handle the puzzle.

• Crossword puzzles introduce them to new words, teaches them spelling, increases their vocabulary and focus.
• Shape puzzles brings interest in math and will help them to in recognizing, differentiating shapes like triangle, square, circle, rectangle etc.
• Map puzzles or science puzzles – improves vocabulary and subject knowledge
• Maize puzzles or road puzzles increases their attention span and problem-solving skills.
• Find the difference images makes them curious and spotting objects around them.
• Connecting dots and coloring makes them think and allows for creative freedom

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Images: Google curtesy