Eduk8 Worldwide | EkoPlay Layered Puzzles make debut at London Toy Fair 2023 Benefits of Puzzles
London Toy Fair 2023 is back with a bang, and this year at Eduk8 Worldwide we're talking all things 'Eko' Friendly. Launching a brand new range of multi layered wooden puzzles, produced from 100% sustainable wood. These puzzles will aid cognitive skills, hand to eye coordination, problem solving, fine motor development and much more…
Shop the range - Puzzles
What are the Health Benefits of Puzzles?
Introduction… The human mind has two separate hemispheres or lobes called right and left-brain. Each one deals with different functions. The right side of your brain is creative, intuitive, and emotional, performing tasks holistically. Your left side thinks logically and follows sequences.
When you put together a puzzle you are harnessing both sides of your brain simultaneously. This allows the brain to produce a chemical known as dopamine that is chiefly responsible for learning and memory.
When you are actively solving a puzzle the production of dopamine will increase. Research recommends a minimum of 20 to 45 minutes four times a week is spent doing puzzles. No matter what your age or ability, building puzzles deliver many benefits.
Health Benefits… Research has found solving puzzles provides us with very many health benefits:
- makes us alert
- increases concentration
- expands our creativity
- increases visual accuracy
- lowers our breathing
- reduces heart rate
- lowers blood pressure
- clears out the clutter in your mind
- see things around you in a new light
- satisfaction
- start finding solutions to your problems
- look forward every day in your life
Family or Group Benefits… Puzzles are a wonderful family and group activity. When you work on a puzzle as a family or group it helps everyone to work together toward a common goal.
Puzzles not only get the brain working but allow for social opportunities between loved ones and caregivers and create positive emotional connections.
Cooperation helps build family and group unity. Puzzles are also a great conversation piece. Working together fosters communication and puzzle shape and colour that when brought together starts to build a subject image that tell a story which spurs conversation. When you bring together a group of young school children and a group of elderly people to build and solve a puzzle you open a wonderful and exciting world.
Benefits for Babies and Young Children…
1. Cognitive Skills
- Puzzles increase visual spatial awareness.
- Develop a deeper understanding of themes and topics.
- All children learn differently, and puzzles may be their medium for understanding, i.e. alphabet letters.
- Problem Solving
- Toddlers and children must think and develop strategies on how to approach completing a puzzle.
- Solutions which they can later transfer into their personal/adult life.
- Fine Motor Development
Children learn to:
- pick up
- pinch
- grasp
- move
- manipulate
- sort
- fit
- Hand and Eye Coordination
Playing with puzzles requires a trial-and-error process which involves a lot of hand and eye manipulation.
- Social
Puzzles are a great educational tool to enhance and promote cooperative play. As kids work together to complete a puzzle, they will discuss where a piece should go and why, take turns and share and support each other when handling frustration, then sharing the joy of finishing the puzzle.
- Self Esteem
The accomplishment of achieving a goal brings so much satisfaction to a child. Overcoming the challenges involved in solving a puzzle really gives them a sense of achievement and pride within themselves.
- Keith Ridgeway 2017.
Shop the range - Puzzles