Growing up, I can remember sitting with my sisters, working as a team to complete numerous puzzles. Adults and children alike love to play with puzzles. We love the challenge they present us and the satisfaction of completing a masterpiece. For toddlers and young children alike, there are just so many educational and developmental benefits when they begin using puzzles.

Puzzles provide toddlers and young children with educational growth opportunities in the following areas:

Cognitive Skills

Puzzles can be found to support all areas of learning. For instance, there are puzzles that reinforce the teaching of letters, numbers, colours, shapes, animals, foods, words, mathematical concepts, science facts, etc. Puzzles for the various learning themes provide children with the repetitive practice they need to make a concept concrete. I decided to make this jumbo two-piece puzzle to teach my toddlers words that are opposites.

Fine Motor Development

When completing a puzzle, toddlers are expected to manipulate each piece of the puzzle. They must use their hands to grasp and pick up each puzzle piece, maneuvering until it fits into place correctly. I have been working with my toddlers with puzzles with and without knobs as mastering correctly fitting each puzzle piece requires practice for our little ones.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Completing a puzzle is trial and error. Our little ones will try to fit a piece of the puzzle in a space that it does not fit. When this happens, they will need to try searching again, looking at the puzzle piece in their hands and the spaces provided for similarities and differences to figure out where it fits.

Social skills

I have toddler twin girls at home, and completing puzzles is one of the activities we use to teach them to share and work together. Puzzles are great for introducing children to teamwork.

Self-esteem

There is just such a joy that radiates from a child’s face when they are able to work at and complete a puzzle that presented them with some difficulty, especially if they were able to complete the puzzle all by themselves. When a child is able to complete a puzzle, they are even more motivated to take on puzzles that are more challenging. The self-confidence that is developed by overcoming the challenges faced can be applied to other areas of life. Our little ones will be more open to trying new things.

The reason I decided to do this jumbo two-piece puzzle was because of all the educational opportunities and to teach my toddlers words that are opposites. I was looking for something that was durable and could be used multiple times — a puzzle that could withstand being manipulated by two toddlers.

To make this puzzle you will need:

• Cardboard
• Exacto knife/Scissors
• Markers
• Pencil

Step 1: The first thing you will need to do is figure out the theme for your puzzle. When you have made your decision plan out what will be on each set of puzzles. For example: when I did my puzzle pieces I knew the opposite words I wanted them to learn

A. Hot – Cold

B. Empty – Full

C. In – Out

D. Big – Small

Step 2: Decide on the size puzzle you would like and cut your cardboard to fit. I decided to use large pieces so the pictures would be clear, easy to find, and easier to fit together for the little ones.

Step 3: You will need to figure out the shape of the piece of cardboard that will allow both pieces to interlock. I used half of the top of a container. The interlocking section can even be a zigzag or a squiggly line for younger toddlers.

Step 4: Use your pencil to draw your pictures on to the cardboard and outline them with a black marker. Also, use the black marker to make a border around each puzzle piece.

Step 5: Now it is time to get creative. When I decided to do the puzzle, I intended to use paint but then decided it would be too time-consuming. So I decided to use my markers to colour in the shapes.

Step 6: Use your scissors or Exacto knife to neatly cut out each puzzle piece.

Your puzzle is completed for days of fun. This process can be followed to do puzzles for different themes. I intend to make 4 piece jumbo puzzles when the girls are a little older. 

If you do decide to try making this puzzle following the same theme, there is this really cool song on YouTube by Ms. Molly called opposites which was the inspiration for my pictures, and the girls loved it.

The book we read was Opposites By Eric Carle.

If you do decide to try this activity, please feel free to share on Instagram or Facebook.