Educational toys are perfect for stimulating our children and helping them to learn as they play. Counting games, building blocks and role-playing sets, may well appeal to our younger kids, but what do we give to the older ones?
I personally find that jigsaw puzzles make wonderful educational toys, brightly coloured pictures broken down into different shaped pieces appeal to children of all ages, and you might even find your teenagers settling down for an hour or two on a miserable winter’s afternoon.
Introducing your kids to jigsaw puzzles at an early age will build their concentration skills, help them to recognise shapes, and the satisfaction of completing a puzzle on their own will build their confidence tremendously.
For the little ones, a wooden lift-out puzzle such as the ‘Botablo Farm’ by Djeco is perfect for tiny hands. Containing wooden animal cut-outs of our favourite farm yard animals, this delightful puzzle will teach your kids about animals, colours, shapes and sizes, and they will not even realise they are learning.
As they get a little older, your kids may start looking for something more demanding such as this 35-piece observation puzzle from the same Djeco collection. A great educational toy, it is fun to build and then fun to find all the hidden surprises in the picture! Children love these types of puzzles, and when they need some help, mums and dads get to join in the fun!
If you have some older kids around the house, then invest in this fantastic Observation Jigsaw Puzzle by Djeco. With 200 pieces, it will take quite some time to complete and comes with an explanatory booklet and a wall poster to help you build a magical image of ancient Egypt. Fun, educational and guaranteed to occupy your kids for hours, this is the perfect puzzle for Christmas.
So stock up on some great jigsaw puzzles this winter – perfect educational toys for girls & boys!
