For the children of Little + Co, a variety of interesting puzzles are being sourced, such as this one pictured. This lovely handmade puzzle has arrived all the way from Spain. It was made by a gentleman named Eugeni from eco-friendly materials . Eugeni was educated at an art school in Barcelona and was professionally employed in the restoration of antique furniture. When his daughter was born, he set up his own workshop and began to make wooden toys. We have purchased some other special toys from Eugeni, including some lovely wooden vehicles for our nursery children.
Eugeni quotes Maria Montessori as some of the inspiration for this puzzle: “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature”. We certainly agree with the sentiment behind this quote. We will talk soon about some of the programming we will be offering at Little + Co which fosters significant interaction with nature by the children. But for now, back to the puzzle.
Puzzles are beneficial for the mental and cognitive development of children because they assist with the development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Children are engaged with problem solving processes such as cause and effect as they turn, move, rotate, remove and flip the pieces of the puzzle. The development of a child’s fine motor skills assists with the development of other skills, for example, handwriting.
If you come across any interesting, special or unique puzzles in your travels that appeal to your child, please let us know.
