People have loved outdoor puzzle play for children and adults alike for generations, whether simple or challenging, tactile or virtual. But what are the real benefits for child development?
Early on in life, puzzles may have large wooden knobs to help children to manipulate the parts. They may have smaller parts that join to make a whole picture or match shapes to pictures of objects. It is usual for many children to experience a range of jigsaw puzzles of varying complexity both at school and at home, an interest that some take into adulthood, or others may return to in the calmer, later years of life.
Often there is an image to help you complete the puzzle, with a satisfying fixed result. But puzzles have now become more complex and more challenging than ever – and nowhere more so than in the outdoor learning environment, where giant activity panels, sand and water play and outdoor games bring a whole new dimension to puzzle play in schools.
1. Physical skills –From holding puzzle pieces and turning them until they fit, to navigating activity panels and sand and water play equipment outdoors. A child’s hand-eye coordination will become stronger, as well as their gross and fine motor skills (control of larger and smaller body movements).
2. Cognitive skills –As they solve the problems of a puzzle, applying their knowledge and understanding of the world, experimenting and seeking out solutions. Children develop concentration, focus and memory skills, while physically manipulating puzzle pieces helps them learn about shapes, cause and effect, and critical thinking.
3. Emotional skills – They develop patience, perseverance, resilience and determination and are finally rewarded when they successfully complete the puzzle. They will learn to set personal goals and to challenge themselves and stretch their own achievements.
4. Social skills – They often will develop communication skills and team skill: if they work with friends or family members to solve or complete a puzzle in class or at home; or if they’ve completed a puzzle independently when sharing and explaining how they achieved the end result or just through a celebration of their success! Board games can develop strategic skills and teach how to follow rules.
The good news is that outdoor puzzle play doesn’t require a dedicated space or expensive setup. The right equipment, thoughtfully placed within a school playground, can turn everyday playtime into a rich learning experience – developing all four of these skills simultaneously without children even realising they’re learning.
For Early Years settings, our durable Sorting Table provides great opportunities for shape sorting and problem-solving, while the Niagara Water Tray encourages hands-on exploration and scientific thinking outdoors.
For KS1, our Water Wall provides the perfect puzzle challenge, developing concentration and mathematical understanding in a fun outdoor setting.
Across all ages, our HDPE Activity Panels and GameTop Table make it easy to bring collaborative puzzle play and games into any playground or outdoor learning space.
Looking to develop a culture of cooperation and teamwork in your school? Explore our full range of outdoor puzzle and games equipment to bring collaborative learning into any playground or outdoor learning space.
Puzzles have certainly moved on and there is a challenging puzzle out there to suit everyone. These four skills are the building blocks for a well-rounded child – and giving pupils the chance to develop them through outdoor puzzle play is not only fun but sets them up for success both at school and in later life.
