| Solving puzzles is a great way for young children | | | | matching of shapes and colours. These will again |
| to develop important hand-eye coordination and | | | | aid hand-eye coordination, but will also encourage |
| motor skills. The most basic of puzzles are those | | | | your child to distinguish between different shapes |
| which include shape sorting, whereby a child is | | | | and colours. These are basic problem solving skills, |
| required to manipulate various shaped blocks and | | | | but are essential for them to develop and ready |
| place them in the appropriately shaped slot. These | | | | themselves for bigger challenges. |
| are suitable for children as young as one, and will | | | | Puzzles are an invaluable aide for skill development. |
| help them develop very basic problem solving | | | | However, it is important to introduce children to |
| skills as well as hand-eye coordination. | | | | those that are suitable for their age group. Young |
| Jigsaw puzzles are very popular among children. | | | | children in particular can get very frustrated with |
| Jigsaws with increasing levels of difficulty are | | | | puzzles that they cannot solve. Often this is |
| available for a wide range of ages and | | | | simply because they haven't yet developed the |
| developmental stages. Jigsaw puzzles utilise a | | | | necessary hand-eye coordination or thought |
| handful of specifically shaped pieces that fit into | | | | processes required to complete them. |
| corresponding holes in a board. The number of | | | | Introducing puzzles to children at a young age is |
| pieces can range from as few as four up to a | | | | an enjoyable way for them to develop important |
| thousand. Often with puzzles for younger children, | | | | manual dexterity, memory, and coordination skills. |
| the jigsaw pieces are decorated so that when | | | | As they get older, they will be able to advance to |
| placed together correctly they form an entire | | | | more complicated puzzles promoting development |
| picture. Completing these simple puzzles not only | | | | of language and numeric skills. It is important to |
| aids hand-eye coordination but also will help | | | | help your child with puzzles initially. As they |
| develop a child's memory. Jigsaws designed for | | | | become more comfortable with the idea of |
| older children may include letters and numbers to | | | | puzzles, they will be able to complete them on |
| help familiarise them with the alphabet and learn | | | | their own, providing a rewarding experience for |
| basic numeric skills. | | | | both you and your child. |
| Other puzzles designed for children rely on the | | | | |