You’ve undoubtedly learned that puzzles are good for the mind and cognitive growth of your child; yes, you might have been given puzzles as a baby shower or new baby presents. So why are puzzles considered beneficial to the mental development of a child? Scroll down to know the benefits of jigsaw puzzles for kids.
What Is A Jigsaw Puzzle?
Jigsaw puzzles are made by cutting into several pieces of various shapes and sizes the image written on either cardboard or wood. Solving the puzzle includes bringing all these pieces together and fitting them together again.
Image Source – Pixabay
Benefits Of Jigsaw Puzzles For Kids
Here are 12 benefits of jigsaw puzzles for kids.
1.The World Around Them
Psychologists have found that the development of the brain of a child is greatly influenced by how a child behaves on the environment around it or manipulates it. Puzzles are the key opportunity. As children work on puzzles, they learn to interact with their surroundings and alter shape and appearance.
2. Coordination Between Hand And Eye
As kids turn, flip, take pieces from the jigsaw, etc., they learn the relationship between their hands and eyes. The eyes see the puzzle, and then the brain contemplates how the puzzle needs to appear or what piece needs to be identified and placed. Instead, the brain, eyes, and hands cooperate to locate, treat, and fit the item precisely into the puzzle.
Image Source – Pixabay
3. Jigsaw puzzles are cheap and reusable
The kids can playback and forth with them. You may also step in to make your child’s activities more interesting. Set a deadline for solving the puzzle, and encourage your kids to try to do it in that deadline. In this way, you know how to work in order to meet your goals.
4. Fine Motor Skills
These puzzles give children, similar to how hand-eye coordination is done, the chance to develop fine motor skills. Good motor skills do not always need to be confused with fine motor skills, such as walking. For handwriting and other main accomplishments, fine motor skills are required.
5. Problem Solving Skill
A powerful and essential skill of successful problem solving. When a child sees various parts and finds where they match or don’t match, he or she learns the essential awareness. After all, a puzzle can not be finished by cheating! Everything fits, or it does not work. Therefore, puzzles allow children to use their own brains to learn how problems can be solved and how they think critically.
Image Source – Pixabay
6. Memory
Simple puzzles and other puzzles can improve the memory of a child. For example, when a child works through the puzzle he or she will need to remember the size, color, and shape of different pieces. When a piece does not suit, the child will put it aside, but when it is needed, he or she will need to remember it.
7. Shape Recognition
Learning to identify and sort types is an essential aspect of their growth for young children, including babies. Puzzles can benefit children as the parts must be identified and sorted before they can be assembled.
8. Set Small Goals
When a child is working on a puzzle, he or she will always develop a technique to work the puzzle more quickly and more effectively. For example, he or she can first do all of the edge pieces, or sort all of the pieces into piles according to colors or shapes. It helps a child understand how to accomplish specific objectives as a way of reaching a greater objective.
9. Children Learn To Work With Patience
Solving a puzzle is a challenge, so it requires time and patience to surmount that obstacle. Children gain flexibility by having to work slowly through the puzzle. Often they learn not to give up and to persevere until they achieve their target.
10. Jigsaw puzzles are perfect ways to pass the time
This is also a safe entertainment tool for children. Such puzzles are fascinating and can capture the attention of children and keep them occupied for hours. Although it burdens the brain on the one hand, on the other hand, it also helps the mind relax by diverting focus away from any stressful thoughts. Solving puzzles also help children develop gross and fine motor skills, coordination between hand and eye, and understanding of shape.
Image Source – Pixabay
11. Spatial Awareness
Clinical studies * have shown how children acquire movement, perception of depth, and distance-known to neurologists as visuospace functions-by finding out how smaller bits fit into the larger image!!
12. Meditative benefits
Their minds are completely concentrated as the children work on a puzzle. When looking for colors and patterns, their minds let go of tension and worries, creating harmony and well-being. They are also looking for new patterns.
13. It’s FUN!
Children of all ages love puzzles. Like adults. Don’t just set aside jigsaw puzzles for rainy days, enjoy them together at any time, and reap the benefits. The entire family is fulfilled for hours by a puzzle.
So, these are 13 benefits of jigsaw puzzles for kids.
Are Puzzles Good For Toddlers
Jigsaw puzzles are fun to kids of all ages. Even your child can play puzzles that are safe for their age. This will help improve her gross motor skills while keeping her occupied and amused.
Jigsaw puzzles are usually 2–3 pieces for young children. Your kid will be able to do puzzles of up to 20 pieces by the time they are three.
Types Of Jigsaw Puzzles
There are many types of jigsaw puzzles.
- Material: They can be made of wood, plastic, or cardboard based on the material.
- Dimension: 2d and 3D jigsaw puzzles are categorized by size.
- Educational jigsaw puzzles: The most common jigsaw puzzles are the 2D kind where various pieces must be put together to create a complete picture on a flat surface. In their learning activity, children may create puzzles containing animal, plant, and site images and maps.
- Digital Jigsaw puzzles: Online puzzles are a hit for older children, along with their friends they can solve the problem with a computer.
The Jigsaw puzzle has been for around 100 years and since the beginning of the 1900s have been popular with adults and children.
The puzzle isn’t just a great way to spend time. There are plenty of benefits to jigsaw puzzles for children and adults alike. Puzzles can also be a genuinely social game and a fun way to spend time as a family together. Puzzle together involves collaboration, discussion, and coordination, and when you finish a tricky puzzle it offers a great sense of accomplishment. It’s also a perfect way to relax and enjoy a little relaxing time without TV.
Also Read: Top Traditional Indoor Games Of India To Play Together
