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Jigsaw Puzzles
Also known as picture puzzles consisting of irregularly cut and shaped pieces that are interlocking and when fitted together will form a picture. A London mapmaker and engraver named John Spilsbury is credited with the first commercial jigsaw puzzle, around 1760, which was originally a rectangular piece of wood cut into small pieces with a jigsaw. Jigsaw puzzles were primarily used as educational tools until 1820 when they started to catch on as a puzzle game.
Tetris
Tetris was invented by Alexey Pazhitnov in 1985, and it became a popular action puzzle game. The object of Tetris is to manipulate the square shapes to fall down to create a line of blocks at the bottom horizontally without gaps. The created line disappears and those blocks above it fall faster and faster as the game progresses until the stack of Tetrominoes fills the screen and no new block is able to enter. The game then ends giving equivalent scores as to the number of horizontal lines completed and some bonus points.
Sudoku
Sudoku means single number and is a number placement puzzle game based on logic. The game is played on a 9-by-9 board, which is broken down into 3-by-3 sections. Players have to fill up the squares with digits so each square of the 3-by-3 grid contains one digit between 1 and 9. Players can only use each digit once. The puzzle is provided with a partially completed grid, and the object of the game is to fill in the blank squares with a required digit. Each of Sudoku's unique solutions can be arrived at logically without guessing. Each row, column and block must contain the digits 1 to 9, using each digit only once in each location. Popularized in Japan in 1986, Sudoku became known internationally and was a hit by the year 2005.
Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are games with numbered squares where letters to form words are written as answers to given numbered clues. Some squares are shaded to separate the answers in the form of words or phrases. Simple crossword puzzles for children are effective to engage kids in learning new words and phrases. Puzzles are drawn from their lessons in literature, social studies or science. They are also a great way to improve their vocabulary and spelling.