The Joy of Jigsaw Puzzles
1. Puzzles keep busy hands occupied during read-aloud time!
2. They can be toyed with while watching documentaries—depending on the doc.
3. They could be manipulated during memory drills.
4. They can be exploited as learning tools: puzzles of birds, butterflies, and even the elements are ample on Amazon (One film student completed a 1,000 piece puzzle about movie stars while he used the images as inspiration for a series of biography papers).
5. Puzzles encourage children to sort by shape and color.
6. They challenge young brains and improve hand/eye coordination.
7. They are symbolic for older students as they aim to “put the pieces of life” together.
8. They challenge children and adults!
9. When finished, they bestow a sense of accomplishment.
10. With a few kids, puzzle races with background music (and sometimes prizes) provide moms with time to focus.
11. They give puzzlers time to just “think” and to “zone” without an electronic device.
12. They provide time for indirect conversation (a fabulous way to reach teens!).
13. Typically, they are not too expensive ($10 for three hours of family puzzle time is a lot less expensive than $40 for two hours at the theater where everyone is individually engrossed).
14. Architecturally, they encourage spatial awareness, color, and transitions.
Overall, the tried and true jigsaw puzzle is often overlooked, but for free time, education, family time, or a prize-inspired race, the good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle is something to consider (trading them with friends is a bonus!).
“Go . . . be puzzled!”
Blessings,
Mrs. G.
www.buildingbrilliantmindsonline.com
In case you don’t know me, my name is Mrs. G.. I founded Building Brilliant Minds Online in 2009. I have authored several courses in Architecture, Biblical Fine Arts, Photography and Dance. www.buildingbrilliantmindsonline.com. My beginning courses may also be accessed for FREE with a www.schoolhouseteachers.com membership.
Instead of framing and hanging it on the wall as you normally see them, you can use them on an old table top sealing it with modge podge just as you would on the wall. I’ve adhered them to the tops of old dressers, night stands, coffee or end tables then varnish them so they hold up. Gives your old furniture a different and unique look. You can either frame the edge or leave it as is, I’ve left them as they were, just sealed them real good and use a good adhesive so they don’t peel away. If you’re not wanting to glue them down to the table top you can just lay a thick piece of glass over the top using felt spacers so the glass doesn’t wobble, that’s an option that makes it easy to change out the puzzle when you’re tired of looking at that one and have another made.