The little puzzler!
How does that sound as a nickname for your tiny tot? Catchy, right? Also, kind of really cool! Okay, maybe just for the “nerds” so to speak, but we will have you know that being a nerd is really cool. Especially if your kid is a puzzle nerd, because there are way too many benefits to it.
Puzzling is such a great activity for pre-K to elementary kids. If you ask us, we would instantly start gushing about how amazing it really is!
So tell you what! In this one, we are going to tell you about two things. First up, it is going to be the benefit of puzzling for your kids. And next, we are going to give a whole list of exciting picture puzzles that your kids will get absolutely hooked onto from the get-go! We promise!
Benefits of picture puzzle game for kids (or any puzzle, really)
Oh there are so many, they go up into the teens! Playing with puzzles is a super engaging activity. So it only makes sense that it packs in a whole lot of benefits too for your child.
And for you too considering you do not have to come up with multiple elaborate activities to keep your baby engaged as you go about adulting. Just lay out a few different types of them and go about your business. Nobody will know and your baby certainly will not complain or throw one of those screechy tantrums!
That said, let us get to the benefits of picture puzzle games for kids:
- Puzzles are an excellent way to develop your munchkin’s fine motor skills
- They improve your kids gross motor skills too
- And enhance their sense of visual perception
- Your kid’s hand-eye coordination can dramatically improve too
- Puzzles can als be a great way to instil early maths concepts in your child
- Something you will love knowing is that they improve attention span
- They turn your kids into tiny problem-solvers
- And make them independent by encouraging independent play
- They enhance your tiny tot’s spatial sense and cognitive development
- They also boost your child’s confidence and make them persevere more, not give up that easy
- Lastly, they help your kid relax, so it’s a cool-me-down activity if your munchkin is being hyperactive again
The very best picture puzzle games for kids
The very best indeed! These are the kind of puzzles that will have your kids go, “Mama, can I play some more?” Music to your ears. Right?! Well try any one of them. We are confident not even one of them will be a disappointment. Quite the opposite in fact!
1. Knob puzzle
Fitted with well defined knobs at the end of each piece, these puzzles just encourage your kids to take ‘em out! The goal is to tell your kid you to pull out the piece that matches your description of what you want them to identify. So if it is a car, you can give them hints like “it has wheels”, “and doors”! These puzzles are great at developing problem-solving skills and improving hand-eye coordination.
2. Jigsaw puzzle
How can we skip this classic picture puzzle game! There are so many options to choose from when it comes to the picture in the puzzle. From vegetables to monuments – the choices, one hundred percent, are endless! Get a basic 4-piece puzzle to start your pre-K kid with. And as those become easy, up the ante with more complex patterns and smaller pieces.
3. Match puzzle
Remember that picture puzzle game in which you had two columns with images and words in random order and you had to match the correct pairs? This is exactly that! And this is just as fun as you remember it! Let your kids try it out. It could be a really fun way to teach them about the names of places, animals and objects.
4. Fit the right piece puzzle
Some puzzle boards come with empty slots. Just the silhouette is cut out and your child is supposed to figure out which piece fits where just on the bases of the silhouette. Sounds easy but it can be hours of challenging and fun play time for your kids! It really sharpens their spatial sense, you know.
5. Find the difference puzzle
You must remember these from your childhood! The objective is to have two seemingly identical pictures placed side by side and have your kid point out all the differences between them. Again start small (and easy). Once your baby gets a hang of focusing and detecting all the differences like a pro, you can take it up a notch. For this one, we recommend a picture puzzle with answers sheet ready so your kid knows exactly how many they got right!
6. Word puzzle
Ah, the evergreen jumble. Who can deny its simple yet captivating charm. It looks so easy on the surface but it can be such a real doozy when you get down to cracking all the words! You can start your little preschooler with simple three-letter words. And as they get older, you can move from challenge easy to diabolical to have some extra fun!
7. Alphabet puzzle
If you have got a pre-K kid on your hands and you want to give them a headstart when it comes to the alphabet, this is the perfect puzzle for you. And for your kid, obviously. Alphabet puzzles contain a picture that corresponds to each alphabet so you can use them as words to teach your kids about the sound of individual alphabets as well. All in all, a simple yet effective picture puzzle!
8. Sequence puzzle
It is all about order, as they say! You can teach your kids about how things happen one-step-at-a-time with simple sequencing puzzles. Pick out three-piece puzzles that follow the sequence of first, next and last to string a narrative together that boosts your child’s ability to think creatively and logically at the same time!
Puzzles are equal to infinite hours of incomparable fun! That is why, in all our classrooms at EuroKids across the country, you will find stacks and stacks of puzzles for our preschoolers. We really love challenging young minds in a way that makes them want to finish the said challenge instead of giving up. If you would like to know more about how we shape young minds and turn preschool education into a super fun-filled experience, visit us!
