Scramble Squares Frogs

Product Description

Social/Emotional 4

Skills

• Confidence is promoted as children complete individual puzzles in order to complete the entire unit.
• Scramble Squares can help a child learn patience, active listening and interaction with peers. 
• Cooperative play skills can be incorporated as children and caregivers work together to complete the puzzle. 

Play Ideas

• While playing with a partner, have one direct the other’s movements to assemble the puzzle, thus creating opportunities to practice expressive and receptive verbal skills.

Adaptation Ideas

• Label each piece with a number to provide cues for piece selection.

Cognitive 3

Skills

• Understanding directionality -- as they move and position the cards to match the objects on each piece.
• Strategic thinking -- as a child thinks through the entire sequence of the puzzle.
• Part-whole relationships -- as they match two halves of an object together.
• Understanding of similarities and differences -- as they investigate the differences in color or shape of particular frogs or etc. This skill can generalize into life skills such as a quarter is different than a dime or a green light is different than a red light.

Play Ideas

• Using 2 cards, each with 4 different objects, practice rotating the cards to complete one object.
• Start with just two cards and have the child match up one bird top to bottom. Then add a card and have the child make a linear puzzle matching tops and bottoms.
• Give cards to the child and have the child make as many complete birds as possible, connecting all or only two at a time. Or, have the child make as many complete frogs as he can.
• Turn the cards over and make a memory/matching game. For instance, either find one North American Bullfrog or Red Eyed Tree Frog.

Physical 2

Skills

• As children pick up and move the individual pieces, manual dexterity is incorporated into play.
• Spatial concepts are enhanced as children work through the puzzle.
• Patience is necessary as children try different pieces until the correct one is found.

Play Ideas

• Glue non-skid material to the backs of the pieces to keep them from sliding during play.
• Place puzzle in a shallow tray or box top to keep pieces in desired positions.
• Glue knobs to the center of each piece to assist in grasping and moving the pieces.
• Put a piece of hook and loop fastener (e.g. Velcro) on the back and use the puzzle on a Velcro board. The pieces will stay where they were placed. For another stabilization strategy, place a small piece of self adhesive magnet on the back and use the puzzle on the refrigerator.