Puzzles Station Summary
Help your child fit puzzles pieces in the correct spot. This is a great way to develop fine motor skills and geometry.
Cognitive Benefits
When children play with puzzles, they learn the power of choice and strategy as they begin to recognize and thoughtfully understand how pieces fit together to complete a larger picture (Peronto, 2019).
Playing with puzzles helps them to better understand how themes work together and fit into the world around them (Peronto, 2019).
When working to complete a puzzle, children have to rely heavily on their ability to remember which shapes work together to complete the picture (Peronto, 2019).
It increases their visual spacial awareness and develops a deeper understanding of these themes and topics (Davis & Davis, 2020).
All children learn differently and puzzles may be their medium for grasping an understanding of certain themes such as alphabet letters (Davis & Davis, 2020).
Motor Benefits
Playing with puzzles requires children to grasp pieces of all shapes and sizes and manipulate them to fit exactly into a cutout shape or slot (Peronto, 2019).
Through this task, children develop small muscle movements and dexterity in their hands and fingers (Peronto, 2019).
While developing fine motor skills, playing with puzzles requires children to learn to make their eyes and hands work together to find the right piece (Peronto, 2019).
Social and Emotional
Completing a puzzle, even the simplest of puzzles sets a single goal to achieve (Davis & Davis, 2020).
Toddlers and children must think and develop strategies on how to approach in achieving this goal (Davis & Davis, 2020).
Puzzles are a great educational tool to enhance and promote cooperative play (Davis & Davis, 2020).
The accomplishment of achieving a goal brings so much satisfaction to a child (Davis & Davis, 2020).
At Home Strategies
Assist babies as they match puzzle pieces with the correct picture
Identify the names of each picture. Say, “Can you find the lion?”
References:
Davis, J., & Davis, J. (2020, May 29). Why Puzzles are so Important for Kids Learning? Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www.learning4kids.net/2012/02/21/why-are-puzzles-so-good-for-kids-learning/ 
Peronto, S. (2019, March 19). How Puzzles Help Your Child's Development. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://penfieldbuildingblocks.org/early-education/how-puzzles-can-help-your-childs-development/#:~:text=Cognitive learning is characterized by,to complete a larger picture.

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