7 Benefits of Puzzles

We have a relative who keeps a thousand piece puzzle out at all times. I was excited recently when I discovered that my children are just old enough to begin large puzzles together. We keep our puzzle on a large cardboard box lid and take it out whenever we get the chance.

Besides being entertaining, puzzles have a big positive impact on the brain! And I'm not just referring to jigsaw puzzles, there are many different types of puzzles, such as word searches, crossword puzzles, or sudoku. They are all beneficial!

Although there are many benefits to doing puzzles, here's a list of 7 that might get you to start your own puzzle fest!

1. Putting puzzles together actually has a calming, meditative effect on the brain. As you focus, your mind is able to "get in the zone", which is a great way to improve attention and focus while providing your brain a break from the many stimuli that  compete for our attention all day.
2. Puzzles provide mental exercise! In fact, the cognitive skills required to solve a puzzle include: deductive reasoning skills, abstract thinking, critical thinking, and problem solving!
3. Puzzles provide fine motor skill practice and hand-eye coordination. These are really important for younger children who are learning to write!
4. Puzzles can give a child a sense of accomplishment! 
5. If a child learns to enjoy solving a puzzle because of the sense of accomplishment or because it's fun to do with a parent or by him or herself, she or he learns persistence!
6. Puzzles can be difficult! Puzzles offer a chance to exercise control over our emotions when it seems tough or when we have to start over.
7. Puzzles are fun!