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Benefits of Puzzles and
Games
Jigsaw puzzles provide brain food for young minds. Eye movement and eye-hand
coordination help prepare children for reading. Experiences between the ages of
0 and 3 help "lay the foundation children need for lifelong self confidence
and problem solving, and empowers them to explore, make mistakes and
learn." (Farrar)
Puzzles may be educational in content, helping children learn basic skills
(colors, counting alphabet) and about their world (animals, transportation,
careers). Well made, quality products combine these educational values with fun.
The social aspect of working a puzzle may not be apparent at first, but in
research done by Marlene Barron, head of West Side Montessori School in New
York, three and four year olds were challenged with 100 - 300 piece puzzles,
with surprising results. The "children shared strategies with
partners" such as isolating colors, searching for particular designs or
shapes. "Doing puzzles is a social literacy activity rich with
conversations about the process, about the story represented by the picture,
about the children's personal experiences connected to the picture" Barron
noted. (Barron) Working on higher level puzzles is an activity that children can
do at home as well, working on it over time to complete the project in progress.
Nancy Joseph,
owner of a store in Florida, "notes that puzzles encourage concentration,
aid in fostering
coordination and color matching, and still are fun." (Schulman) What more
could we want!
As children grow, their interest in puzzles may become more focused on puzzle
topics that hold their interest - sports, horses and space are popular themes.
The variety of puzzles available now means that there are many choices that are
age appropriate for children into adulthood. For some older children, ages 10 -
13, clever brainteasers challenge them and focus on problem solving.
Renewed interest in games has in part been fostered by home/parenting magazines
and periodicals talking "about families spending more time together."
(Kellachan) Although most people think of puzzles and games as rainy day
activities, they really provide less expensive entertainment and a way to spend
more time with family and friends. "They are for kids to play with when
it's too hot to go outside, they're for crisp autumn mornings when there is not
much to do, for snowy afternoons when children are tired of sledding, for summer
evenings out on the porch, and for cold winter nights near the fire. In short,
games and puzzles aren't weather or season specific; they are simply a product
that brings people together." (Zobel)
Barron, Marlene, Young Children, Three-and Four-Year-Olds Completing 150-piece
Puzzles? Impossible! pp. 10-11
Farrar, Andrew E. Farrar, Specialty Retailer, February 1998, Play
Values: A
Specialty Toy Marketing Advantage, pp. 34-36
Kellachan, Lauren, Playthings, July 1997 Games: A Family Affair, pp.
24-29
Schulman, Milt, Playthings, December 1994, Puzzles provide family
entertainment,
pp32-33, 65.
Zobel, Alexandra, Specialty Retailer, August 1999, Group Fun Is the
Name of the
Game, p. 26
   
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