Activity Idea: Puzzle Me, Puzzle You!

Preschool Activity QuickSource® reminds us that social/emotional activities focus "on helping children become caring, competent, and confident individuals." Give children a strong sense of self, foster their independence, encourage them to make friends, and teach them to share by nurting their social/emotional devlopment.

Here's an activity called Puzzle Me, Puzzle You! that will build awareness about the different people and cultures that make up a community. It will also help to develop fine motor and cooperative play skills. For this activity, you will need blank puzzles.

Materials Needed:
Make a Puzzle Set (PSMCOM)

Let's Get Started:
1. Display the puzzle boxes where the children can see and use as a guide.

2. Give each person one piece of the puzzle.

3. After the first person puts her piece down, encourage others to figure out how their piece fits.

4. Encourage them to talk about the pieces and to help one another decide which piece belongs where.

Furthermore....
Extend this activity by allowing children to first paint their puzzles. Start with puzzles with larger pieces and then begin to solve puzzles with smaller pieces as children develop their fine motor skills.

If using POCET™, this activity corresponds with the devlopmental guidelines shown in SE6 Interacts Appropriately with Others by Helping, Sharing, Discussing and Developing Friendships.