When Toddlers Start Playing With Jigsaw Puzzles
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Wondering why puzzles are good for toddlers’ development? Find out how they prepare tots for writing and boosting their self-esteem. Go ahead and get some new jigsaw puzzles for your little one. You’ll surely be surprised with the results that come your way!
By the age of two, your child will be somewhat ready to manage basic puzzles with big pieces that have to be fitted onto a board. Let’s look at some benefits of introducing toddlers to mental development games early in life, and find out the best ways to teach them puzzles.
Top Benefits and Tips To Use Puzzles For Child Development
1. Boost Self-esteem By Starting Early
It’s difficult to say at what age toddlers can solve jigsaw puzzles on their own. Completing even the most basic puzzle requires good reasoning skills. But then, if they are exposed to puzzle toys at an early age, babies learn to develop their own strategies of solving them effectively. With each success, they feel a sense of achievement that boosts their self-esteem. The best tip therefore is to start as early as when your little one’s fine motor skills are getting strong.
2. Improve Sensory Co-ordination With Knob Puzzles
When a 21-month-old child is introduced to puzzles on a regular basis, it improves their hand-eye coordination. With practice, hand and wrist movements get firm, and toddlers are able to think spatially. Get beginner puzzles that are usually available with small knobs on top. When your child gets into the habit of holding these knobs with her forefinger and thumb, they strengthen the ‘pincer grip’, thereby preparing her for writing.
3. Enhance Memory By Repeating Puzzles
A 21-month-old toddler playing with jigsaw puzzles requires a bit of hand-holding in the beginning. Get your little one easy-to-crack shape puzzles before introducing her to the more complex ones. Kids usually love solving the same puzzles repeatedly, and so are able to recall them easily. The whole process of finding the right piece, remembering where it should fit, and then going about the task of placing it in the appropriate place sharpens the memory.
4. Teach Them By Example
One of the most effective tips for teaching jigsaw puzzles to toddlers is to explain the right way of solving the same, patiently. Begin by showing your child the picture related to the jigsaw puzzle. Teach her how to put different pieces together. Doing this regularly will encourage your toddler to start solving it on her own. Also, if your child is a hyper active one, this will teach her the virtues of patience and perseverance!
5. Help Them With Goal Setting
After your 21 months old gets the hang of solving jigsaw puzzles, you will notice how she develops her own strategies to complete the same, quickly. For your child, the goal is to do it on her own, quickly, and by using her own tactics. Help her set time and strategy goals and reward her when she manages to meet them.
Toddler development jigsaw puzzles are beneficial for the mental, physical and cognitive development of children.
