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Working puzzles is a very good indoor activity, especially appropriate if the weather is rainy or cold and not suitable for playing outside. Puzzles are widely available at toy stores and specialty shops and are typically inexpensive. It is important to make sure the puzzle is age appropriate, not too difficult so that your child get frustrated and loses interest quickly, and not so easy that your son or daughter is quickly bored. If you want the activity to be more educational, choose a puzzle with a theme: the world, United States, the solar system.
I think it is best not to help out too much, but rather let your son or daughter work on the puzzle with only a little assistance from you. If you see that your child is having trouble, you can scratch your head as you pretend to look for a piece, and maybe occasionally nudge it into view. For young kids, in the range of 3-6 yeas of age, try to find a puzzle that can be completed in 5 minutes or less; this will approximately match the amount of time a youngster can focus in a sitting. To stay within this time window, the puzzle should have no more than about 20-30 pieces.
One of my favorite puzzles for kids who are slightly older, about 5 years old and up, is a puzzle of the United States of America with pieces in the shape of the states. What a great way to learn about the 50 states while doing something fun at the same time!
David Rozzell blogs at http://rozzell.com about things to do with your kids that are fun, help build strong relationships, and cost little or nothing to do.
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