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Archive for the 'Wooden Puzzles' Category
When I was little, I was what most people would refer to as a “nerd”. Although I enjoyed traditional childhood entertainment, like action figures and cartoons, my favorite activities included reading, doing puzzles and solving math equations. This may seem a little unnatural for a young boy, but my parents encouraged these habits by purchasing me educational toys and games.
One of the first toys that they bought me was a wooden puzzle that featured various dog breeds. I loved the puzzle because one of the dogs looked just like my canine, Barney. Although the puzzle was relatively easy, I never got tired of solving it. Last week I was cleaning out my closet and found the old toy, still complete with all of the pieces.
Do your kids sit on the couch all day playing video games or watching television? If they do, then it’s probably about time they tried a new after-school activity. Younger children can especially benefit from activities that incorporate learning with fun.
Buy a few wooden puzzles and see how your children react to them. Keep in mind that they may need some help putting them together. Remember that participating in activities with your children can strengthen your relationship and let you get to know your child better.
The jigsaw puzzle is one of the oldest forms of amusement that dates back to the late 1700’s. The jigsaw has passed through many phases of development to become today’s modern pastime. Jigsaw puzzles have a range of uses, from education, entertainment, to emotional and physical therapy.
The predecessor of the modern jigsaw puzzle was invented by John Spilsbury in 1767. It was used as a teaching apparatus to help children to learn the geography of England and Wales. It was a wooden map with no interlocking pieces. In fact, interlocking jigsaw wooden puzzles were not introduced until much later, with the invention of saws that could cut raw materials such as wood with the accuracy needed to produce the interlock. From this beginning through the 1800s, jigsaw puzzles caught on and grew as a popular pastime.
Children of all ages can learn from putting together puzzles. Completing a jigsaw puzzle demands several aspects of the thinking process and encourages cognitive development. Babies recognize objects by their shapes rather than their positions, so puzzles are a great developmental opportunity.
There are several ways that babies may learn from working on basic puzzle blocks. Eye and hand coordination are needed to put a puzzle together. A child must also learn by trail and error; sometimes when he or she tries to fit a piece in a hole it won’t fit. The child will soon learn that the shape of the hole and the shape of the puzzle piece need to be observed.
By definition: An educational toy is a toy designed to teach people, typically children, about a certain subject or help them learn a skill as they play.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational toy
Puzzles can teach a child topics like ABC’s, colors, shapes, animals, and geography. Puzzles can also help with hand-eye coordination, teach sizes & shapes, and problem solving.
Board games and card games can be used to teach things like counting, colors, and reading, to more complex things like communication skills, logical thinking, and organizational skills.
Games and Toys can be very educational to children. By playing with educational games and toys, children can learn physical skills, such ashand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and even texture. They can also learn about things like animals, colors, and the human body.
Dramatic Play / Creative Play:
Let them dress-up or play puppet show theater with puppets and dolls. This will stimulate them to role play and express themselves through character play. They can learn about different foods and even money by playing with Pretend Playsets.
Children love to play outdoors on wooden play structures. Wooden play structures encourage children to be physically active and mentally active as they determine if and how they can perform specific skills. Children are increasing their imagination as they soar through the sky on a swing and play around it.
It is important to keep our young children involved and playing – get them to play with educational toys.
The popularity of wooden puzzles has waxed and waned since they were first produced in the 1760′s. They are still just like the first wooden puzzle used to teach geography.
Children’s puzzles have moved from lessons to entertainment showing diverse subjects like animals, nursery rhymes and modern tales of super heroes and Disney. Wooden puzzles still offer a lot of entertainment for a small price.