Make An Unusually Effective Child Jigsaw Puzzle

Every kid builds a child jigsaw puzzle... sooner or later. But for most of them, unfortunately, the next step is always just another puzzle... often only with more pieces.

Try as you may, but this routine will only do two things well:

Cost you money

Teach the same skills over and over

Think about it... maybe doing more of the same is not really the answer to getting better results.

But using smarter ways often are.

So, here's...

How To Make A Stunningly Simple, Yet
Unusually Effective Jigsaw Puzzle

What You'll Need

a blank or an old puzzle

3-5 different colored stationery stickers or pens

How To Do It

Step 1: Use any old child jigsaw puzzle... even buy a blank one if you need to. Choose a puzzle with an appropriate number of pieces for your child's skill level.

Step 2: Build the old or blank puzzle... then turn the puzzle picture side down.

Step 3: Now choose any 2 interlocking pieces, preferably edge pieces, and mark the connecting pieces with matching colored markers or stickers. Thus, 1 red dot matching 1 red dot.

Step 4: Mark 2 other pieces the same way, using different colors - 1 yellow dot matching 1 yellow dot.

Step 5: Repeat this marking process on as many other pieces as you like.

Step 6: Now, scramble the puzzle and let your child look for and build the matching pieces... still picture side down.

Step 7: Further child jigsaw puzzle options I've found to work well are:

use different shapes

mix and match colors and shapes (just ensure that any 2 interlocking pieces have the same patterns)

even use an arithmetic problem on one piece and the answer on the other. This makes a great jigsaw puzzle: piece one - use 2+3... on the matching piece put 5

... or even have a look at many other great ideas for any child jigsaw puzzle

Despite many parents continuing in the rut of buying child jigsaw puzzles with just more and more pieces, there is surely a much smarter, cheaper and more exiting way to teach your child valuable skills.

With some imagination you'll start to see any old child jigsaw puzzle as exiting teaching aids.