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How to Make Puzzles for Kids

Puzzles benefit early childhood development more than most people realize, according to Texas Child Care Quarterly, a journal for early childhood educators. Puzzles can help develop physical coordination, social and emotional skills and mental skills by presenting a child with a problem to solve. In addition, children find puzzles entertaining when they involve familiar images, which you can ensure by making the puzzle yourself.

Things You'll Need

Cardboard (white or light-colored)
Coloring utensils
Color copier or computer scanner and printer
Sharp pencil or fine point pen
Box cutter
Box
Glue

Instructions

- 1
  Draw a simple picture on a rectangular piece of cardboard, such as zoo or farm animals, a civil servant or a scene from a story. Use large, basic shapes filled with simple, bright colors so that the child can easily recognize parts of the picture when assembling the pieces.
- 2
  Make a color copy of the puzzle, either by taking a picture or by scanning your drawing into a computer and printing it. This will show the child his or her goal while assembling the puzzle.
- 3
  Use a sharp pencil or fine point pen to draw 12 jigsaw pieces across your drawing, with small, protruding pieces that resemble doorknobs. A 12-piece puzzle is the optimal size for children 3 to 5 years old. Jigsaw puzzle pieces with small knobs are especially helpful for toddlers, as they encourage finger coordination.
- 4
  Disassemble the puzzle along the jigsaw lines using a box cutter. Hold the puzzle down firmly and be careful not to cut in any area more than once so that the puzzle fits together as neatly as possible.
- 5
  Place the jigsaw pieces in a box. Glue the picture from step 1 to the top of the box.

Jigsaw Puzzles