DIY Friday: Easy Puzzles for Kids

Summer is just FLYING by but it hasn't been as eventful as I'd hoped! We have had some terrible weather here in my neck of the woods. Sweltering and humid one day, then flash flooding and hailing the next. My pup has been bored being stuck inside and has been extra pesty. I can only imagine having bored kiddos! 


Need a way to keep those bored little ones busy AND help them learn at the same time? I have a really great, inexpensive, crafty activity that can do both! 

Easy Puzzles for Kids 

Puzzles are lots of fun, but they can be a tricky toy to master! This custom children's activity is a great introduction for kids who aren't quite ready for the real ones yet. You will make your own puzzles out of sponges, and then you'll make outlines for each one you create. Your child will be able to start off using the outline to put the puzzles together, and after he gets the hang of it, he'll be able to do them all on his own! In addition to getting in some laughs and preparing for the real deal, your child will develop foundational math skills. So let's get to it! 

What You Need:

• Sponges
• Card stock
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Marker

What You Do:

1. Outline shapes on the sponges. Be sure to create a variety of basic shapes. Squares, triangles, and rectangles all work well.
2. Carefully cut out the shapes.
3. Arrange the shapes so that they create a design or picture of some sort.
4. Transfer the arrangement to the piece of card stock. Then, use a pencil to lightly outline the shapes on the card stock. The card stock is the puzzle base and will serve as a reference for your child.
5. Retrace the pencil marks with a thick black marker, using a ruler where needed.
6. Give your child the sponge puzzles and the guides, and encourage him to fit the shapes together to complete his puzzle.

Once he's gotten the hang of it, challenge him to put the puzzles together without the guides. This is his first step towards doing real puzzles on his own! This is also a great way to teach your child the basic shapes. If you use various colored sponges, you could also incorporate colors, too!

If you enjoy this activity, please head to Education.com to check out some of their other fabulous activities to help build your child's skills!

Happy Couponing!

-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

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