Apart from the fun they get from these activities children are learning all the time as they sort, match, select and manipulate pieces according to the rules of the game.

Children develop mathematical skills as they:

• recognise and copy sequences.
• learn to match written numbers with numbers of objects.
• See that some things and quantities are the same as, more than, less than others.

Puzzles offer a chance to develop pre-reading skills too.  Before children can successfully deal with letters and words when learning to read, they need to be able to:

• recognise and remember shapes which are identical and those which are almost the same but not quite.
• observe and recall details in pictures and symbols.

Children develop confidence in solving problems as they tackle puzzles.  In addition, they learn social skills like sharing and taking turns when they play together.