A bought jigsaw has a fixed number of pieces. It is too hard for a while, just right for a few weeks, and then too easy for ever.
A homemade one grows with your child. You decide the picture, the number of pieces and the shape of the cuts, and when it gets too easy you cut each piece in two. All it takes is the side of an old box.
What you need
- Flat cardboard. The side of a delivery box, or the thinner card of a cereal box, which is easier to cut.
- A picture. Your child's own drawing done straight on the card, or a drawing or photo glued on.
- Scissors and a pencil.
- An envelope to keep the pieces in.
Four steps
- Fill the whole card with the picture. Big, clear shapes in different colours work best. A wide empty sky makes pieces that all look alike.
- Turn the card over and draw the cutting lines on the back in pencil.
- Cut. An adult cuts thick cardboard. Thin card is good scissor practice for a child.
- Mark the back of every piece with the same coloured dot, so that two puzzles never get mixed up.
How many pieces, and which cuts
| Rough age | Pieces | Cuts |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | 4 to 6 | Straight cuts that make squares or strips |
| 6–7 | 8 to 12 | Straight slanted cuts that make triangles and four-sided shapes |
| 8–9 | 15 to 20 | Wavy cuts |
| 10 and up | 25 or more | The child plans the cuts and makes the puzzle for someone else |
Ages are only a rough guide, and every child is different. The right number is the one your child finishes with a little effort.
Helping without giving it away
Putting a jigsaw together is practice in turning shapes in the mind and in seeing where a small part belongs in the whole. Pointing to the right place takes that work away, so ask questions instead.
- "Which pieces have a straight edge? Where do those go?"
- "This piece has a bit of yellow. Where else is there yellow?"
- "This line stops at the edge of the piece. Which piece does it carry on to?"
- "Try turning it. Does it fit better another way round?"
Edges first, then colours, then lines that run from one piece to the next: that order is a strategy your child can use on any jigsaw.
Five ways to vary the game
| Variation | What changes |
|---|---|
| Strips with dots | Cut the picture into six upright strips and draw one to six dots along the bottom. Putting the dots in order builds the picture |
| No peeking | Solve it without having seen the finished picture |
| Beat your record | Time it, mix the pieces and try again |
| Two puzzles mixed | Sort the pieces by the dot on the back first, then solve each one |
| Your child is the maker | They draw, plan the cuts and hand the puzzle to you |
The last one teaches the most. A child who makes a puzzle soon notices what makes it hard: pieces of the same shape and large areas of one colour.
In Dologi, "Slide the picture" puzzles cut a picture into tiles on boards from 2 by 2 up to 3 by 3, and children slide the tiles back into place. It is the same thinking from the parts to the whole picture.
In short
- The side of an old box, a picture and scissors are enough for a jigsaw.
- Choose the number of pieces and the kind of cuts to fit your child, and cut pieces in two when it gets easy.
- Help with questions about edges, colours and lines that carry on, not by pointing.
- Let your child make a puzzle for you and find out what makes one hard.
Read more: Sliding tile puzzles for children: putting the picture back together