How can jigsaw puzzles be used to improve problem-solving skills on multiple levels?
Whatever age, jigsaw puzzles allow everyone to develop cognitive skills. These activities help increase certain skills such as working memory and concentration. What are the benefits of these puzzles?
A great way to boost some essential cognitive skills
It is important to know that visuo-spatial functions are vital when learning reading or mathematics. This is the skill required for hand-eye coordination. This faculty requires a sense of observation and visual discrimination. When assembling the puzzles, you will have to turn the pieces in all directions in order to place them in the right place, in the right position and with precision.
Jigsaw puzzles also allow to develop fine motor skills. The player will have to carefully take each piece to position them in a specific location. It is an activity that helps you adopt delicate and well-calculated gestures to achieve a specific result. This is an essential skill in different fields.
Puzzles also help develop working memory. It is the ability to temporarily retain certain useful data, even if the brain is busy with other tasks. This memory is essential because it helps to understand instructions, solve problems, perform mental calculations, concentrate, etc. These games also help to increase constructive practices. These are skills allowing you to piece together a whole through different separate elements that are linked together. This skill is useful for solving multi-level problems.
The puzzle has no age or limit. For a wide range of children's and adult puzzles, click here.
A tool to develop coordination skills using executive function
These are brain skills that help adapt to “non-routine” situations. It is a skill that allows you to make appropriate decisions in situations. These skills include:
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Mental flexibility: it is an executive function that helps to adapt to unforeseen events, changes, etc.
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Mental rotation: this skill allows the brain to act effectively depending on a specific situation.
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Critical sense: it is the ability to sort between relevant data and those which are not essential.
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The methodology: by playing a puzzle like a puzzle, the player is required to implement strategies, sort the pieces, etc.
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The ability to concentrate: the player must concentrate on a specific task and omit the rest.
Puzzles for children but not only that! More and more adults are regaining a taste for puzzles thanks to their benefits for our health but also thanks to the revival of puzzle games. This is the case for the laser-drawn wooden puzzle boxes with great precision for a captivating result. Discover the ADULT PUZZLE collection from L’Enfant Malin:
A way to develop emotional skills
When a person solves a puzzle like a jigsaw puzzle, their main goal will be to solve the puzzle in question. She will be forced to bring together familiar shapes and colors to find an effective solution to the problem. Puzzles also help develop certain qualities such as patience. The player will have to be patient in order to explore each room before being able to solve it.
When it comes to puzzles, the difficulty levels vary. The player will be able to evolve gradually. He can start with simple puzzles and increase the degree of difficulty gradually.
An activity to learn how to solve problems creatively
People introduced to puzzles like puzzles are led to solve problems in creative ways. When practicing these activities, each player will have to find several methods to solve problems. You will have to think about different ways to put the right pieces together. Unlike electronic games, puzzle-type puzzles do not allow you to take shortcuts.
When a piece does not match, the player will not have the opportunity to cheat. To successfully put the pieces of the puzzle together, he will only be able to rely on his ability to think.Gradually, he will learn to correct himself. If he notices that a part does not match, he will have to find its true location. Each time the player is faced with a difficulty, he will make sure to find the optimal solution to overcome the problem.
A game to strengthen certain abilities
People who solve puzzles are able to soothe and calm down. As they are busy concentrating on carrying out the activity, the brain relaxes and is more serene. You should know that focusing on one and the same objective allows to soothe the body and calm the mind.
To find out in more detail all the benefits of puzzles for adults, read our new article.