This is the third blog I have written recently on the benefits of playing games and this time I am focusing on the benefits of children completing puzzles. Whether they are physical jigsaw puzzles or their on-line virtual equivalent, like those on Learn From Play, the benefits are the same. Read on to see what the benefits of playing puzzles are for your children.
Having grown in popularity recently puzzles are able to be completed as a solitary or group activity. The placing of pieces in their correct location is all about problem solving and spatial awareness skills. There is the never-ending satisfaction of placing the final puzzle piece to complete the picture and an opportunity to improve hand-eye coordination skills.
At Learn From Play we believe so strongly in the benefits and fun of playing puzzles that we have created one for every books on the site. This means that there are almost 100 puzzles on the site that can be played as and when desired.
Each Fun Puzzle Adventure game includes 4 difficulty levels. These are 16, 35, 64 and 100 pieces into which the book cover image puzzle can be broken. Once broken the game then has the option of rotating the pieces or providing them in their correct orientation to add an extra level of complexity to the problem-solving skills required to complete this game. There is also the added option of having the original image in the background to assist with piece placement or creating the puzzle image on a blank canvas.
Pieces are moved using the computer mouse or touch pad and need to be placed fairly accurately but they will snap together when placed near an adjoining piece to assist slightly in the puzzle's completion. For ease of play, there is a reset option to remove all pieces from the board and the background image can be switched on or off throughout the game as required.
The puzzle game has the option of having the sound on or off and opens in a new tab to ensure ease of returning to the book activities for on-line completion. Each game can be played by multiple students simultaneous provided they are each logged into the Learn From Play website.
Puzzles are a great option as a reward for students and allow them to have fun without even realising there are lessons being taught and skills being mastered – the exact reason we gamify teaching at Learn From Play. Let me know which of the 4 levels of the puzzle games your students enjoy the most and which games you would like to see us include in the future. We are contemplating adding a find-a-word game but would love to hear from you other ideas that would benefit you and your students.
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