The Puzzled Tot

I LOVE puzzles. Whenever I have a couple of hours to myself at the end of the night (it is not often, but it happens!), I put on an audiobook and start puzzling. I am probably too young to be spending my free time in the exact same way as an octogenarian, but I have no regrets! Who knew that this particular hobby would be something that my toddler could enjoy as much as I did? I stumbled upon this activity by accident, and I am so glad I did! The puzzled tot is fantastic for bilateral coordination practice.

One night I completed a 500-piece puzzle after my daughter went to bed and it was still on the table when she awoke in the morning. It was a beautiful safari picture and I considered framing it. However, as soon as my daughter saw the puzzle, she had other plans. Once she sat at the table, I watched to see how she would interact with the puzzle. I placed the puzzle box beside the puzzle, several different-sized cups and a small pitcher. Then, I grabbed my morning coffee and just watched. She took it apart piece by piece. She divided the pieces into the different containers (a lot of them also ended up on the floor!) and poured them from cup to cup. This kept her occupied for nearly an hour. You as the caregiver can be as involved as much as you see fit.

What you need:

A completed puzzle & the box it came in

Some small cups (I like these because they are great for so many other activities! However, any cups will do.)

Steps:

To make this activity your own, all you need to do is complete a puzzle and allow your tot to annihilate it.

Supply whatever containers or cups you think that they might enjoy.

Show your little one how to transfer the puzzle pieces to the cups and box. They will take over fairly quickly!

I recommend using 300-piece puzzles because they have pretty big pieces and are less of a choking hazard than some of the larger puzzles.

Sort (by color or front & back) and count the pieces once they lose interest in the cups.

You can come across a puzzle quite cheap if you know where to look. I usually pick them up at garage sales, consignment shops, Facebook Marketplace and Amazon. Simple activities like The Puzzled Tot can provide the greatest enjoyment.