Jigsaw Puzzles For Fun - Jigsaw Puzzles For Learning

Jigsaw puzzles are very much loved by the young and the old. For kids, it can be intellectually stimulating. For the old, it can be a challenging task especially when you are playing with big jigsaw puzzles with hundreds of pieces. It is a good way to relax at home.

Various researches found out that kids can benefit from keeping jigsaw puzzles because it can develop logical thinking and spatial relation skills. It is a good activity for kids to get along and develop their social skills. They can work hand in hand with their playmates to put together puzzles. And playing with these puzzles can be a fun family activity on a family day. These puzzles are one of the educational toys you can readily provide to your kids. They are affordable and readily available. You can actually introduce this as their hobby. Who knows, it might stir up their interest.

So where can you find jigsaw puzzles with cool designs? Melissa and Doug is the leading manufacturer of educational toys for various ages. They have all sorts of toys that you can ensure your kids would benefit from. You can get best buys of jigsaw puzzles built from wood and cardboard material from them. The number of pieces can vary. So it is definitely easy to match your kid's capability, start from there then lever it up until they can handle complicated puzzles. The designs are really dreamy.

Melissa and Doug jigsaw puzzles are perfect for your kids. For sure they will love them. Pictures are filled with various colors and even adults can be mesmerized by their designs. Various themes have been created so it can be delightful for the kids' eyes. For wood puzzles, it has a sturdy tray to hold the pieces together and it is even hand crafted. For the cardboard puzzles, you can easily store the pieces because they come in handy with a wooden box. So if you are a busy mom, you can easily shop online for these puzzles and have it delivered on your front door. Shopping with them is easy and secure.

This is one of the simplest ways to entertain your kids. You can even strengthen emotional bonds with them by spending time and playing with them. If you want to plan a family activity that's less tedious, this one can be a great choice. When everybody is home, after a dinner, you can simply lay the puzzle on the floor and start building up the challenge for everyone. Trust me, jigsaw puzzles can be fun.

Just try to look out for Melissa and Doug jigsaw puzzles. Even by just looking at the pictures of the puzzles, it is already stress relieving. So see, the pieces that you put together can bring a lot of benefits to your kids and to your family. It's not just a one-time benefit because what you do to your kids can have lasting effects on them. And it is one way to build good memories. But the most important of all is that your child is learning.

1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles - Stress Management Game For All Ages

Today children of all ages know only of one thing, and that is to play with their handheld games, game consoles or their computer games. If you are tired of all of these, then why not try a stress management game of 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. Young or Old, we all can enjoy this game that was once made popular decades ago.

Almost everything now can be done with the help of the technology. The types of toys are limitless. From electric scooters; to bikes; to handheld games; to play stations, x-box, wii, and a whole lot more of electronic games that are available in the market today. It is rare to find a young boy or girl with a puzzle. Most of them would rather ask their parents for the above mentioned toys. Even adults are now hooked as much as the youngsters are hooked with electronic games.

Wouldn't it be nice for you or your whole family to be able to enjoy a game or two of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles? Not only will all of you enjoy the game, you will be able to spend quality time with the whole family. Puzzles are not made for kids alone, adults can enjoy it too. If you want something as intricate, you can always go for different puzzles whenever you are done with your first puzzle.

Playing a game or two of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles will give you a natural high after completing your puzzle. Once you are all done with it, you can easily have your puzzle framed and display it in your living room, or wherever you want to put it. It is also nice to let your friends see your accomplishment. As it really takes a person with tons of patience to finish a puzzle, let alone finish a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles.

Find the time to go back to basics and start by playing a jigsaw puzzle, not only that this type of toy is entertaining, it will also make you think and learn to free yourself from stress as well. You can enjoy this game by yourself or with your whole family.

Kids Activities For Stay at Home Moms

Here are several fun kids activities I do with my children and they are FREE!!

Local Library

There are so many different activities that the library has to offer.

1. Check your local library for any activities or classes available. Our library puppet shows. They are fun and entertaining and best of all it is free.

2. Check out books as well as other fun things like toys, puzzles and anything else you can imagine.

3. Most libraries have a wonderful section for children. Spend a few hours reading to each other.

Parks/Playgrounds

There are so many kids activities at the park. I like to pick a couple of days a week where we go to the park.

1. Get some bread and spend an afternoon feeding the ducks.

2. Kids love swings, slides, climbing, digging in sand and they can spend hours doing it for free.

3. Buy a couple of baseball gloves and a tennis ball and play catch for a while. Or maybe a Frisbee. My daughter loves to play catch.

Window Shopping

1. Go to a store with lots of toys. Allow them to look and play with everything. My daughter loves to do this and it is free. Just be sure to tell your child up front they are there to look and play, not to buy.

2. Go to the mall. Our mall has a small children's playground which is free. Another fun idea is take them to the pet shop. Let them pet the animals and look at the fish. Kids love animals.

These are just a few free kids activities that for stay at home moms. Keeping your kids busy is beneficial in so many ways. Playing and being active can help with their development. ENJOY!

Puzzles For Cures Releases Autism Ribbon Floor Puzzle

Though I am a teacher first and foremost because I adore the kids, I admit that a wonderful extra benefit is getting to know the children's families. I was blessed to meet the Ambrose family when I taught two of their three children several years ago. Having one child with special needs, Susan Ambrose has worked tirelessly to help raise funds and awareness for other causes.

Her company, Puzzles For Cures, is pleased to announce that they have received written approval from the Autism Society of America (ASA) to use its patented ribbon, created with colorful puzzle pieces, to manufacture a puzzle of the well-recognized symbol. The puzzle has already been well received as an effective fundraising tool by groups including schools, therapy facilities and united groups of parents.

Today, 1 out of every 150 children (4 out of 5 boys) born in our country has been diagnosed with Autism, which is the fastest growing developmental disability. These puzzles have many benefits. Fundraising dollars are being used for therapies and professional seminars; children are enjoying this educational toy; and Autism awareness is being raised throughout many communities.

Susan fully understands that no disability comes invited and that acceptance is key. She has been faced with many choices and challenges with her own child, which resulted in a strong desire to do something positive to help meet such choices and challenges.

The idea for this product came about one day as she was stopped at a traffic light and noticed an Autism awareness ribbon magnet on the back of the car in front of her. Her Dad, a woodworker and woodcrafter for over 40 years, made the awareness ribbon into an actual puzzle, creating the first prototype.

Puzzles For Cures presented the puzzle to the Autism Society of America and received its approval. Though the puzzles were initially made of wood, the group struggled to keep up with a growing demand. They realized they needed to take it to the next level.

The idea of a floor puzzle evolved, and Melissa & Doug, a well-known manufacturer of high-quality puzzles and toys for children, signed on. The ribbon-shaped floor puzzle is comprised of 36 pieces of "Easy-Clean" surface, which keeps the surface looking like new. It measures 18" x 36". All Melissa & Doug products are carefully crafted using "non-toxic coatings and meet or exceed all U.S. toy testing standards."

If you are interested in learning more about how the Puzzles For Cures Autism Puzzle can be an effective fundraising tool for your group, while also broadening awareness and providing children with an enjoyable fine motor activity, please contact Susan Ambrose at 856-220-0404.

Tips on Choosing Toys for Children With Special Needs

Choosing toys for children can be very difficult as we all know. We long for the gift to be a source of pleasure but realize how easy it is to miss the mark. The recipients level of maturity both physically and intellectually, interests and safety have always to be borne in mind, even more so when the recipient has special needs.

The festive season is a time of year when large numbers of people will be looking for gifts for children who may have special needs. Parents will recognize which toys are suitable without much difficulty but there may be many relatives and friends who would appreciate a few guidelines.

We need to acknowledge the important role of play in a child's life. Years ago my now grown up children were playing in our garden in Nigeria. A woman passing-by, stopped and watched them for a moment then turned to me and said "Play is children's work". Clearly she was a person of great insight and understanding.

Play allows young children to learn and mature on physical, emotional, mental and social levels. Toys can improve problem solving skills or encourage play at a higher level. Some toys encourage movement and exploration such as climbing and riding toys. These physical activities develop strong muscles for walking, running and sport.

Other toys such as rattles, hand puppets and musical toys will encourage the development of fine motor and hand skills and increase freedom of movement. Games and role playing encourage children to play together and through these activities they learn about co-operation and sharing. Two very important skills necessary for building friendships.

Yet other toys help to increase awareness of people, places and things. Dolls, stuffed animals, puppets, vehicles and dolls houses have a role to play here. The last two are very good ways to introduce the child with special needs to various aspects of every day life and the jobs that people do at home and at work.

When choosing a toy for a child with special needs the following factors must be carefully considered:

Is it safe for that child's intellectual age, well constructed and durable?

Is it appealing and interesting to the child

Is it right for the child's physical capabilities?

Is it suited to the child's mental and social development? The toy should not

Be fragile or breakable . Have any toxic materials

Have sharp edges or points.

Be so small that it can get stuck in windpipe, ears or nostrils. Remember that some children with special needs explore objects by "mouthing" them.

Have small detachable parts.

Have any parts that could pinch fingers, toes or get entangled in hair . Have been put together with exposed straight pins, sham wires or nails.

Have electrical parts, unless it is to be closely supervised by an adult.

These are all crucial considerations when making a choice.

Toys fall into numerous categories for example:

ACTIVE PLAY

Push and Pull toys

Ride-On toys

Outdoor and Gym Equipment

Sports Equipment

MANIPULATIVE PLAY

Construction toys

Puzzles

Pattern Making toys

Dressing, Lacing and Stringing Toys

Sand and Water Play toys.

MAKE-BELIEVE PLAY

Dolls

Stuffed toys

Puppets

Role Play Materials

Play Scenes

Transportation toys

Projectile toys e.g toy guns, bows and arrows

CREATIVE PLAY

Musical Instruments

Art and Craft Materials

Audio-Visual Equipment

LEARNING PLAY

Games

Specific Skill Development toys

Books

It can be very difficult choosing toys and other presents for children with Sensory Processing Disorders such as autism, ADD, ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. They tend to be "under-responsive" to sensation. They need intense experiences of touch, texture, smell, sound, pressure, speed and balance.Children with Sensory Processing Disorders love sound effects, repeatedly pushing buttons to hear the sound effects again and again. They may become overexcited and unable to wind down.

Puppets help the children to discover the meaning of words and pictures. Speak through an eye-catching puppet and watch as communication, eye contact and emotion emerge.Children with autism need a great deal of help to progress from stereotyped repetitive play to that which originates and evolves from their own imagination. Pretend play often develops as they imitate others who show them how to play.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME TOY SUGGESTIONS;

Beanbag Chairs, Barrels

Balance Beams, Tunnels, Tents, Ladders

Rocker Boards, Sit-n-Spin, Rocking Horse

Tactile Flash Cards, Chewable Toys, Textured Books Foam Blocks, Puzzles

Silly Putty, Playdough, Brushes

Musical Instruments

Pencil Grips, Vibrating Pens

Heavy Stuffed Animals

Body Sox, weighted Blankets, Lap Pads

Therapy Balls, Balls with Texture, Bean Bags to toss

Wings, Slide, Trampoline, Hammock. Scooters, Sand Box

Aromatherapy Diffuser, Lava Lamp, Massagers

THE VISUALLY CHALLENGED CHILD WOULD BENEFIT FROM TOYS SUCH AS:

Overhead Gym

Word, Sound and Music-Makers

Toys with realistic sounds and figures

Toys that move when touched

Mirrored toys

Toys with high contrast colors, patterns or lights

Toys that magnify

Textured Surfaces which feel different

Toys with different areas, e.g dials, buttons, knobs

THE HEARING IMPAIRED CHILD WILL BENEFIT AND HOPEFULLY ENJOY TOYS WHICH:

Combine auditory feedback with visual, touch and movement sensations

Toys with high-pitched or low base sounds

Toys with a volume control

Toys that are visually interesting and/or offer different sound feedback

Toy parts that visually direct a child to the ways they can be used

Toys with realistic actions figures and sounds.

CHILDREN WHO HAVE TROUBLE MANIPULATING OBJECTS NEED

Toys with knobs, levers, buttons, switches and holes for exploring and manipulating

Toys that encourage exploration of visual details and textures

Toys that respond to manipulation with visual and or sound feedback

Toys that require little pressure or accuracy to manipulate or activate.

Toys with multiple access areas that result in different things happening.

Toys do not necessarily have to be bought from companies which specialize in special needs requirements. Many similar items can be bought cheaper from high street stores. Ordinary toys can be adapted with a little ingenuity. As one wise mother wrote "The best gifts are of the heart, which means a gift of time. Record your voice or a familiar voice reading a favorite book" But whatever present you give, give it with love!

game ideas for children with cerebral palsy and Special Education

One of the most common problems with traditional toys is that they are intended for cerebral palsy to be used with two hands, often times children with the hand will have a limited use of one side of the body or the use of just one.

The toys should be fun and children should have a sense of achievement or performance when playing not to remember or frustrated, what can not.

Many of the toys on the commercial market may be used or adapted for children withCerebral Palsy.

There are many toys that you use to buy at any toy store or entertainment store, and convenient. Look for toys that can be used with one hand.
Musical instruments are for this, a trumpet, harmonica, xylophone and maracas large. They develop a sense of cause and effect with young children and help control the movement with their children.

Art magnetic toys are all the rage and a big hit with kids of all ages are es-Tons of toys available in many forms magnetic puzzle, magnetic construction toys and magnetic magnetic marbles.

A simple ball is great fun and good for developing coordination-get clean ball that glows in the dark lights, flashes or listen to music when you roll.

Toy or game includes the meaning, development with sensory integration.
Sand and water are ideal for this. You can also fill an empty pot dish with hamRice, a box of sand great fortune for a rainy day.
A tip to avoid confusion to the sand box, sandbox setting up cement blocks will be alive and the children do not have any sand in their clothes.

Toys that help with coordination and movement control are also a good choice.
Bowls with beads, beans or gummy bears are well covered, for sorting, counting and grouping. Ideal for motion control.
wooden blocks-Blocks simple domino great help for stackingcontrolled motion. Check out empty milk cartons for stacking.

Play-Doh is always a favorite-do their Play-Doh and use Kool-Aid not only color, but a fruity fragrance. Your child is, the development of sensory perception and visual motor skills to integrate him.

Keep a box of a toy with wheels. Toy cars and trucks of all sizes. This is a non-verbal expression, problem solving and self-control.

Keep toys that would keep yourKids can see what is available to avoid non-transparent containers and lids. Baskets are ideal for this.

You can save a lot of toys in the room and create your own by, even at home without spending much money for toys or special needs to adapt. Mainstream toys help with development skills such as cognitive awareness, movement control and coordination and do not forget they are fun!

For your children, office, toys Make The Waiting Fun

Every day of your clinic, mothers and their children wait their turn. They know that children can press their mothers from the hospital and your secretary is always hectic with all the restlessness and crying. But with attractive toys on one side and the fun was waiting. Here's why.

Do not lose business

When children begin to torment their mothers leave the hospital, you know you miss the company and have another consultation, the renegotiationcan take weeks. As a physician, this will be uncomfortable. The schedule was arranged weeks in advance and was determined the patient for the day. By patients, it means days or weeks of waiting for the next round. If you have the latest pediatric office toys, but consultation program carried out at all. Install the pediatric office toys faster and save you and your patients the inconvenience.

The new toys suitable for yourClinic will add a touch of home. Children in pain can forget their worries for a while '. Mothers can call the Peace of Mind Read fashion magazines while waiting for the name of their child. Your secretary has a quiet day and not lose any business.

Oh, they love toys

You can choose more pediatric office toys for your practice. You can toy suit different ages. For infants, children playing small block of luxuryTable. The children have fun enjoying each other's company and forget time. For the timid, giggling fun mirror will make them laugh. The Tykes elderly will go play for the center of the fire. 7 to 10 years of mystery and a Tic-Tac-Toe panel will address. The magnetic wall does not represent peace.

Children are colorful office toys to promote children's ability to motor and cognitive. You have all the fun finger painting and setting the pyramid. All of these toys will also help develop social skills when they play with other children. Meanwhile, mothers can communicate with each other. The next problem for mothers and children, however, leave your clinic, because children would not want to separate with the toys. At least they are all destined to return home.

Toy Stores

If your schedule prevents you from doing laps in the shops, go online. You can use the pediatric office> Toys and have them delivered to your office. Not all items are delivered for a fee. Some products, such as the magnet wall to express, mirror maze sculpture of children, and Zac Zigidy walls are provided without charge.

If you have children, they ask which show promise of toys online. You will be amazed at their experience. They love toys and knows what the other kids have to go. As a doctor you know what office toys to keep the minor childrenall age groups, these documents are buying.