Exploring Space - The Power of Puzzles

Day 6 - The Power of Puzzles

Puzzles have been an integral part of Hannah's education up to this point.  From basic chunky puzzles as a baby, to peg styles as a toddler, and now she can quickly master jigsaw puzzles.  This puzzle from Melissa and Doug was our first giant floor puzzle, and we'll definitely be purchasing more of them in the future.  

Cost - Low

I always have a hard time ranking 'cost' as it really depends on your budget, but this Melissa and Doug 48 piece puzzle is under $13 off Amazon.  I'm pretty stingy with my budget for educational materials and try to stretch it as far as possible, so I questioned if Hannah would benefit from this puzzle or if the money would be better spent towards a different activity.  When it comes down to it - I think puzzles are extremely important to include in any learning unit.  I'll explain more in 'Educational Value'.

Messiness - Low

The 48 pieces create a giant puzzle that is 2' by 3'.  The pieces themselves are large, easy to pick up, and the box is sturdy so storage shouldn't be an issue.

Prep Time - Medium

You'll need to clear a large open space as the puzzle is oversized.  No other prep work is needed.

Educational Value - High

I mentioned earlier that I think puzzles are an important part of a learning unit, but in actuality I think that puzzles should be a part of a child's daily life as they are a wonderful way to assist cognitive development.

Besides encouraging logical thinking through matching the images on the pieces, puzzles also improve spatial relation abilities, shape and size recognition, and hand to eye coordination.  Plus the tenacity needed to complete a particularly difficult puzzle will lead to a lot of pride once it is finished.

In my book, the value of a puzzle will always be High.

Expansion Ideas: 
Although we haven't tried this puzzle ourselves, I recently stumbled upon it and was so impressed that I just had to share.  This puzzle from P'kolino has multiple solutions, so besides just arranging the pieces to create the image, the child also can use their imagination to create different combinations.
Truly, it's easier to understood through pictures:

 

Isn't that awesome?!  I'm so excited to add this puzzle to our collection.  

If you're interested, there are also other options from this product line.  

Clicking on the images will take you to their Amazon page via my link:

___________

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!  Come back tomorrow for more SPACE themed toddler / preschool activities.  Make sure to follow me on Pinterest and check out my Space themed board.

This post may contain affiliate links.  

You help to support this site when you click on the links.  

Thank you!