It has long been recognised that there is a link between the solving of puzzles for the under 5 year olds, and the ease at which they later acquire their literacy and numeracy skills. The puzzle solving skills range from stimulating the children's brain and imagination through to the fine motor skills involved in picking up and placing objects in the correct place.
There is an excellent article at the Kiwi Families website about Puzzles, which includes recommendations for puzzles for different age groups.
At Rodney Libraries we have the following types of puzzles
- Knob puzzles. Pieces with knobs or handles so they are easy for small hands to grasp
- Jigsaws ranging from 5 to 50 pieces
- Puzzle blocks
- Match the picture puzzles
- From very large to quite small puzzles (although we do aim that puzzle pieces are large enough that they cannot be easily swallowed)
- Lots of colourful subject matter including dinosaurs, creatures, te reo, cars and trucks adn much much more.
The majority of our puzzles are wooden (for durability) and they can get a bit heavy to carry if you take out several at a time, so it is good to remember a bag. Following feedback from some of our school children, we have also purchased some 100 piece toughened cardboard puzzles as there was demand for something a little bit more difficult. We also have several floor puzzles, which Helensville in particular tell me are very popular.
If you would like to search our range of 360 different jigsaw puzzles online, go to the Rodney Libraries catalogue and do a subject search for Jigsaw Puzzles. Ask for help if you have any questions.
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