Kids’ brains are like sponges. Whatever skills and traits they develop at early ages tends to stick. So ensuring they use their time, and cognitive skills in fruitful activities is crucial.
Brain teasers and puzzles are perfect for this. They have a myriad of benefits like improving cognition, and memory and also increasing creativity. The best thing about it is you can find puzzles for children of all ages.
Let’s dive deeper into all the benefits of introducing brain teasers and puzzles into your children’s daily routine!
5 Benefits of Brain Teasers and Puzzles For Your Children
How a child learns and improves depends a lot on their own style. However, puzzles and different kinds of brain teasers have general benefits.
1. Improves Cognition
Working on brain teasers and solving puzzles enhances your child’s cognitive abilities and also improves motor functions. Puzzles and brain teasers trigger different areas of the brain, which are great for development.
This is especially true for kids that have exposure to these games earlier on. However, some games like crossword puzzles can get quite tough. A little help from sites like crosswordanswers911 never hurts.
2. Enhances Creative Thinking
Brain teasers do not always have a straightforward solution—that is the point. But this is exactly why they help with creativity. Your kids will need to think outside the box to solve the problems.
The more children learn to think outside the box, the more creative solutions they come up with. Thinking outside the box is a skill, so like any skill, it can be worked on and improved.
3. Improves Memory and Retention
Some brain teasers have big memory components. They work your brain in specific ways that improve retention.
This, of course, has huge benefits for their studies as well. They will retain more of what they learn at school, which obviously also means better grades.
4. Helps Children Concentrate More
Children’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter thanks to social media and short form content. However, there is a huge case to be made for the productivity that comes with being able to focus.
Since brain teasers and puzzles require your kids to focus for longer, it helps build the habit of working at a thing for long periods of time.
5. Teaches Teamwork
Many puzzles and brain teasers require you to pair up with a partner. Not only can this improve teamwork skills, your kid’s communication will also improve.
Kids will learn how to vocalize their emotions and communicate their thinking process. Doing these puzzles and challenges with their friends also helps them learn social skills.
6. Spatial Reasoning
Spatial reasoning is crucial for developing mathematical skills and geographical direction. There are games that help with just that.
If your kid constantly struggles with remembering places, think of including brain teasers and puzzles. Additionally, a fun and playful environment also helps with spatial reasoning as well.
7. Teaches Problem Solving
Finally, these games improve a child’s problem solving skills. This is one of those skills that enhance every aspect of a child’s life and future development.
They will have resilience and the ability to think through a problem before giving up.
What Is The Perfect Age To Introduce Brain Teasers?
Here is the good news: There are brain teasers for kids of all ages. The important bit is to give your child age-appropriate ones. Most puzzles will have a recommended age on the box. That is mostly all you need to figure out which ones are appropriate for your kids.
However, if your child is very young, make sure you give them safe ones. Definitely do not give them puzzles with small pieces. They could become a choking hazard.
For kids between 12 and 18 months, simple wooden puzzles like placing shapes in their appropriate boxes are great. These puzzles help develop early motor skills and are safer since the pieces are large.
Best Ways To Include Brain Teasers and Puzzles Into Your Children’s Day
When thinking of introducing brain teasers and puzzles into your children’s day, make sure you do it naturally. If your kids are young, many puzzles will feel like normal playtime.
You can also sit down with them and teach them how to play and maybe help them solve some problems initially.
If you teach in a classroom, getting the kids excited will help. Setting aside one hour or thirty minutes a day to allow them to practice is a good idea.
How To Help Kids Learn Better?
Not all kids learn the same way. Apart from introducing brain teasers and puzzles, pay attention to what works best for your child. Some children are visual learners.
Some are auditory learners, and some do good with a combination of techniques. Apart from that, there are also many tried and tested ways you can help your kid learn better.
Remove the Fear Of Learning
Teach kids that learning is not something scary and is actually fun. A lot of kids have a fear of learning because they might think they won’t be able to. When your child is struggling, do not use fear as motivation.
Teach Them It Is Okay To Fail
Instead teach them it is okay to fail. There will be times where your kid finds something difficult. Teach them that struggling is okay. What matters is keeping at it. Encourage them to ask questions, give positive reinforcement.
Introduce Value Learning
Value learning will also help a ton. Get them excited to learn something new. Show them what skills they will learn or what new exciting things they will be able to do after learning something new.
Wrapping Up
Brain teasers and puzzles have tons of benefits especially if introduced early. They can help with cognitive development, motor skills, creativity, problem solving and more.
These skills will help them in their academics and are also something they will be able use throughout their lives. However, make sure you approach the learning process in a way that is best for your child. That is what will ultimately give you the best results!