Puzzles give practice with problem solving and visual discrimination. Try these make-at-home puzzle ideas for some cool down time with your special needs child.
Read my other articles on puzzles for special needs kids:
Coordination and Discrimination
Puzzles and the Mentally Retarded
Picture Puzzles
Use magazine pictures to make a variety of picture puzzles. Mount them on cardboard or an old file folder so they will last longer.
Pictures from the sides of cereal boxes work great, too.
- Cut the picture in half (across, up and down, or diagonally) for beginners. Give both pieces to your child to manipulate to make the picture.
- For children with more advanced skills, you may wish to cut the picture into more pieces.
Build a Face Puzzle
- Cut a circle out of construction paper.
- Cut out various face parts from magazine pictures or from computer print outs: eyes, noses, mouths, ears, hair, etc.
Have your child build faces with different features.
Simple Maze
- Place two identical pictures across from each other on a paper. Use a heavy, black marker and ruler to make a line between the two.
- Give your child a highlighter to trace the connecting line.
Harder Mazes
- Have three or four sets of picture pairs on the page.
- Use related pictures (animals and foods) instead of identical pictures.
- Connect uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Connect words.
Letter Searches
- Print or type a line of 8 - 10 letters. Include several letter A's, for example. Have your child make an X on all the letters that are not A's.
Word Searches
- Print or type a line of 8 - 10 letters. Include a sight word in the line. Have your child make an X on all the letters not needed for the sight word.
The copyright of the article Hot Summer Fun for ASD Kids in Special Needs Parenting is owned by Lynn Moore. Permission to republish Hot Summer Fun for ASD Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
