Children learn a lot when playing with toys during their pre-school years, so it is important they have exposure to as many different types as possible. You want to set up a home daycare centre so you can make a living while providing a service to young children in your area. You have a limited budget to spend on toys while starting your business, so you want to make sure you buy toys that teach a variety of different skills rather than just one. Wooden jigsaw puzzles certainly fit this criterion, and there are four reasons why.

Coordination Skill

One of the immediate skills learned when children play with jigsaw puzzles is hand/eye coordination. Puzzles are a way for a child to figure out how to move the piece to the part of the puzzle identified by the eye and the brain as being the correct place for it to go. The more jigsaw puzzles the child does, the more coordination practice they get.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are when a child learns how to pick up and hold objects. Traditional cardboard puzzle pieces are too thin for a child to grip until they are older. However, wooden jigsaws are thicker, so they are easier to pick up and manipulate. These fine motor skills are needed when a child starts school, as this ability helps them to hold a pencil or paintbrush.

Manipulation Skill

The beauty of a jigsaw puzzle piece is it is only designed to fit into the puzzle one way. This means the child needs to manipulate the piece until it orientates itself to fit the space and overall picture of the puzzle. The manipulation skill is the one where the child learns to consider the overall picture and the way a piece has to align to fit.

Social Skill

Finally, jigsaw puzzles can be enjoyed either alone or by a group of people. When a child in your daycare is paired with another to complete the puzzle, they must learn to share the puzzle. They talk about the puzzle as they try to determine where each piece should go. This interaction between them teaches the child to be social with their classmates.

Not only do wooden jigsaw puzzles teach a variety of different skills, but they also are a durable toy that will stand up to the roughness of young children playing. Talk to your wholesale wooden jigsaw puzzle supplier about which puzzle options will suit your daycare centre best.

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