How to bring your puzzles back to life through the extension of play

Whether you have a child who is so smart that they have outgrown the puzzles, or they are just collecting dust, I promise you that you are not the only one. I love a good puzzle and got a puzzle organizer and everything! My toddler had seemed uninterested, and it was just a space that was taken up by unused puzzles that I felt he was bored with. As an educator, I had to think about how I could bring these puzzles back to life. How can I make it more fun and interesting for a toddler who loves to learn but is bored by the simple puzzles, knowing he can complete them in a few minutes? I will tell you, as a former educator, that toddlers love to be hands-on and feel they are completing something, and feel that sense of independence. A couple of things popped into my head. Are these puzzles too simple? Is he just over them because he's not into puzzles anymore? Here is what I came up with. Consider the age of your toddler. My toddler is 2 and a half years old and at this point can complete an 8-10 piece puzzle no problem! At this point, he has all his puzzles down pat. It was not that he was getting bored with puzzles; it was that he needed a new way to extend what he already knew. He likes his puzzles, but he needed a new and fun way to explore them. Think of it like using the same toys but for different purposes. Such as magnets. Those are toys that you can use in multiple ways, but still play with the same toy the whole time. When you add something to a toy or experience, it is called an extension. You will find I have a lot of extension recommendation ideas in my store products that you can use to extend the product and make it more of a learning experience. Without talking to our kids about what they are doing, or how it works, or making them think for themselves, they are just grabbing knowledge from what they know. I believe our job is to give them new ideas and new thoughts to extend play, so they can see things are not so black and white, and by this, they play with items for longer periods. By adding rice and covering the puzzle, I was able to bring the puzzle back to life and make it new and exciting for him again. So if you are thinking about buying a new toy or getting rid of a toy that has collected dust, try the idea of extension to bring it new life. Not only did my toddler love the sensory experience of playing with rice, but he loved digging and finding the puzzle pieces! This may not work for all kids, maybe upgrading to a bigger set of puzzles, such as a 12-15 piece may be the answer. Each child is different, and ages vary in academic level, but this idea is sure to work for all ages and create a fun experience!