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Puzzles are a great tool for homeschoolers of any age, and although many seem to be nothing more than a free-time activity or a device to keep one child busy while the parent is working with another child, they can actually aid your students (and yourself, by the way) in developing some really useful thinking skills. By working a jigsaw puzzle, children develop their abilities to reason, deduce, analyze, sequence, and develop logical thought and problem-solving skills. They also improve their eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness as they complete the puzzle.*
Because the benefits are so apparent and excellent, the question then becomes, which jigsaw puzzles? National Geographic is an internationally known company with a longstanding reputation for quality products that teach both child and adult alike. Canadian Geographic's Grey Wolf Pup Puzzle doesn't disappoint--it is the high quality you would expect from National Geographic.
The photograph is beautifully rendered, and the animal lovers in our home were drawn to it. All of our children are fascinated by baby animals of any kind, so the combination of subject and quality were a bonus.
The puzzle pieces themselves are also high quality; they are cut well and fit together nicely so that there is no frustration to the child. Nothing is worse for a young person than to be working a puzzle that refuses to work with them.
At 300 pieces, the Canadian Geographic Grey Wolf Pup Puzzle is better suited to the slightly older child--maybe 8 and up. Its finished dimensions are 19.25" x 13.75".
You can find other puzzles in this series all with photographs beautifully done by photographer Robert McCaw at www.outsetmedia.com.
*Barbara White, Beyond Better Development, copyright 2005
Product review by Kendra Fletcher, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, August 2006
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