During your toddler’s development stage, varying factors arise allowing your child to adjust and adapt a lot easier with the people around him as well as his surroundings. In this period, cognitive progress is to be expected. Thus, helping your child increase his capabilities will truly help him learn faster. Puzzles are an innovative means to learn certain skills before your child enters school. Jigsaw and learning puzzles can work wonders for educating your child in a number of areas such as his motor, problem and reasoning skills.

To hone toddler cognitive development, jigsaw puzzles are great learning materials you can invest in. Aside from its affordability, you can mix entertainment and education at the same time making it easier for your toddler to learn. The eye-catching and vibrant colors and the uniquely shaped pieces will appeal to your child and as a result, becomes very effective and useful.

Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles For Cognitive Development

Almost every child expert admits that child jigsaw puzzles are the best way to early educate your child and since these learning materials are easy to read and understand, it sticks to a toddler’s mind quickly. Let us take a look at how these puzzles can help boost your toddler’s learning growth.

• Logical thinking is increased through matching activities.
• Improves spatial relation abilities.
• Learn shape and size recognition for introduction to pre-reading.
• Advances hand to eye synchronization.
• Learns the trait of perseverance (since your child needs to be determined in order to complete the puzzle).
• Develop social skills.

Jigsaw Puzzles Fit For Toddler’s Age

There are different puzzles suited for each age of your toddler. All distinct from its shape, texture and color, it is recommended that you utilize all of it to help your child maximize his cognitive skills. Some of the following are:

Level 1 Toddler (1 to 2 years old, beginners)

Wooden Puzzles - Wooden jigsaw puzzles are great introduction for beginners because they are specifically made to be durable and easier for young toddlers to solve. Wooden pegs are included to help your child easily match the image of the puzzle pieces with the image at the bottom of the board. This hones your child’s attention allowing him to concentrate on his work, recognize which puzzle piece go with which picture and remember things well. This guides your toddler to develop early reading of letters and numbers.

Level 2 Toddler (2 to 3 years old)

Foam Puzzles - Foam jigsaw puzzles can be easily made at home. You and your child can make this together allowing for a fun bonding time as well. However, because these puzzles are very soft, it is not recommended for young toddlers as they might eat it. The best foam puzzles are the ones with drawings in it such as an airplane, egg, fish or dog. It allows a more receptive approach helping your toddler identify shapes and things accordingly. You can also opt for puzzles that can be formed into a Rubik’s cube. This allows your child to be intellectually challenged as this will help him form strategies in order to solve the puzzle.

Magnetic Wooden Puzzles - During this toddler stage, puzzles using magnets allows your child to refine his motor skills since putting the picture puzzle pieces to match the shape of the hole requires the use of a magnet (a fishing pole, net or tow) instead of using only his hands.

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old)

Educational Puzzles - While every jigsaw puzzle is educational for your toddler, focus on puzzles that relay information about different topics. For example, you can try out formation of the letters in the alphabet, the map of a country or the structure of an animal. In this way, your toddler gets to put all the different pieces together boosting his capability to produce and solve challenges on his own.

Piling Puzzles - Piling or stacked puzzles entails your toddler to use his problem solving skills in order to construct and build the pieces together to form the puzzle. Your child becomes ready to think on his own therefore permitting him to make personal decisions based on what is right and wrong.

Finally, jigsaw puzzles are a great way to enhance the cognitive skills of your toddler. But see to it that you play with your child to assist him in completing his tasks, allowing him to enjoy solving the puzzles more.