Archives for posts with tag: puzzle mat

Toys aren’t merely devices made to keep your busy little bee while you finish folding laundry. True, some do just that, but many toys are created as educational tools to teach your children and help them develop better physical, organizational, emotional and social skills. For example, introducing your child to puzzles early on is not only a great, essential way to ensure he or she get the hang of figuring out fun stuff now, but that they also succeed in the great puzzle that is life.

More benefits of playing with puzzles include the development of great hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, plus shape recognition and problem solving. Puzzles also help children learn about their place in this world and their surroundings while they also become socially confident creatures.

Puzzles also encourage little ones to set goals and achieve them, which then promotes the emergence of self esteem —and lot of it. And maybe, one day, they’ll also do their own laundry! Til then, let’s do some puzzles.

1. First Puzzle – Treehouse

First_Puzzle_Treehouse_Special_Needs_Essentials__05724.1429720542.500.750

Great for building self-esteem, this puzzle is large, which is great for sweet little hands, and it’s foam, which makes it easy for wee fingers to grip. Encouraging hand-eye coordination and visual sensory development, it’s designed to really get into the brain and improve cognition, logic, and reasoning.

2. Sensory Puzzle Blocks

Textured_Building_Blocks_Special_Needs_Essentials__33658.1429725230.500.750

Nice and vibrantly colored, these puzzle blocks help develop fine and gross motor skills while improving hand-eye coordination. They’re textured, too, so as to provide tactile and visual sensory input. Stack, build, and assemble the foam pieces with friends and family to improve social skills.

3. Tot’s First Chunky Pegs

peg_board_Special_Needs_Essentials__71230.1426265632.1280.1280

Again, here’s a puzzle that’s made to help your child develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This 20-piece set is designed for tots 12-months old and up to stack, sort, match, and build away with the chunky pegs and pegboard.

4. Edushape Play Mat

Play_Mat_6x6_Foam_Letter_Puzzle_Special_Needs_Essentials__86190.1444224923.500.750.jpg

Now here’s a cool concept: use six-by-six foam alpha-numerical puzzle pieces to get your little darling’s logic, reasoning, and motor skills running AND build a fort! With 36 pieces to play with in total, it’ll be easy for your sweetie to get lost in a little world of numbers, letters, and learning. Creating a whimsical box full of fun, this colorful, soft, easy-to-clean floor mat has endless learning possibilities, not to mention it’s also a great insulator for cold floors. Once assembled, the mat is 72”x72” big and is perfect for designating a specific play area in the home.

5. First Puzzle – Fun Forrest

First_Puzzle_Forest_Special_Needs_Essentials__64109.1429720635.500.750

This large foam puzzle has 10 pieces that are easy to grip so they work wonderfully with little fingers. While building self-esteem, this puzzle also encourages hand-eye coordination and visual sensory development and improves motor skills, cognition, logic and reasoning. And when joined by friends and family, it can also do wonders for your child’s social skills. Did we mention it features all of your favorite forest creatures?

 

Forest_Fun_Puzzle_Special_Needs_Essentials__99254.1429720643.500.750

What will be your kid’s first or next adventure in the wonderful world of puzzles? Leave us a comment or drop by our Facebook page to tell us all about it!

Advertisement

Edushape Play & Learn Mat - Special Needs Essentials (2)Colorful, safe play mats offer many important benefits for early development in babies and children. That’s why we stock a variety of play mats with interesting textures and shapes. An early development essential, play mats are one of the most versatile products on the market.

They encourage children to develop fine-motor skills, visual sensory development and hand-eye coordination. Play mats also teach valuable logic and reasoning skills. Plus, they are a fun way to spend parent/child bonding time working on communication and sharing skills.

Early Development

Play Mats are specifically designed to be educational and encourage child development. Most mats have interactive features like removable puzzle shapes, fun tiles and different sights and sounds. Well-designed play mats encourage children to develop fine-motor skills, visual sensory development and hand-eye coordination. They also contain vibrant floor tiles designed to encourage child’s logic, reasoning and motor skills. Children learn to recognize  letters, numbers, animals, shapes and colors. Play Mats, like the Play Mat – 6×6 Foam Letter Puzzle (36 PC), feature alpha-numerical tiles to encourage number and letter recognition.

Sensory Stimulation

Playmats incorporate bright colors and a variety of textured surfaces to engage your child for hours of discovery and play. These features provide your child with important sensory experiences. Your child will enjoy touching varied surfaces, removable puzzle pieces and friendly animals. Some play mats incorporate music or crinkly fabric that makes noise when a child interacts with it.

play-Mat-3x3-foam-floor-tiles-special-needs-essentials [edited] (1)

Safety

Play Mats provide a soft, safe and colorful play space for the home, school or office. Our mats have all been tested for safety and made by award-winning brands like EduShape. They are made from non-toxic eco-foam that is hand washable, durable and great at insulating cold floors. Our play mats, like the Play Mat 3×3 Foam Floor Tiles, feature easy grip play and skid resistant bottoms. Our play mats are recommended for children ages 3 and up. They are not recommended for children under three due to a choking hazard associated with small parts.

Portability

Great in any home, play mats also make traveling with your child a bit easier. They allow you to set up a safe, comfy space anywhere, and the colorful tiles and textures help entertain children for hours. Most playmats fold up or break down easily for excellent portability. When you return from your travels, give them a quick wash to remove any germs or grime to restore their condition. These play mats are hand washable for your convenience. One savvy parent just washes them in the tub for easy clean-up without the mess.

Versatility

Suitable for toddlers and children, play mats are adaptable for years to come. They are perfect for day care centers, play rooms, nurseries, and playgrounds. Play mats make great gifts for birthdays, holidays or baby showers. Though playmats are perfect for infants and toddlers, older children can appreciate baby gyms and the different toys for the sensory experiences they offer.

Want to tell us about your favorite use for a play mat? Drop by our Facebook page and leave us a note!

Special Needs Essentials promotes awareness and facilitates support of families and professionals caring for a person with special needs. For more information, please visit our website.

%d bloggers like this: