It can be difficult for busy parents and carers to find free, fun activities for children. This game is an example of how items that would otherwise be thrown away can be reused over and over again in a way that entertains.
This mini puzzle game was designed for use in children's parties and works with youngsters aged from about four upwards. It is a great resource for any gathering of children and once it has been prepared it can be used again and again.
How This Kids Party Game Works
The mini-puzzle party game uses old greetings cards, such as those given at birthdays or Christmas. The cover of the card, bearing the picture, is detached from the rest of the card. The cover is then cut into between two and four equally sized pieces.
Once several cards have been cut up the pieces are spread randomly on a surface such as the floor or a low table, face upward. One piece from each card is held back by the game organizer.
The children come to the organizer who gives them a single piece of card. The child must then go and find the rest of the pieces of the card and then put them together as if they were a small jigsaw puzzle.
Having completed one puzzle the child returns to the organizer to collect the first piece of a second puzzle which they then find and reassemble. The game continues until all puzzles have been made and the winner is the child who has completed the most.
Variations on this Children's Party Game
As with many party games the way it is played is determined by the party organizer and they are free to adapt it to the local circumstances.
For example, there is no need to use old greetings cards; other sources of pictures can be used. Greetings cards work well because they usually have bold, colorful designs and the rigid card allows them to be easily used as puzzles.
There is no requirement to have a winner. Young children love to play games like this and are more concerned about achieving their objective than whether someone wins.
The number of pieces that comprise a puzzle depends on the age of the children. For the very young, perhaps three or four year olds, a two-piece puzzle is enough. They are given one half and need to find the other. For older children three or four piece puzzles are a challenge. This game works for children aged up to about nine or ten.
The game can be played in teams instead of individually, with players searching simultaneously or one at a time.
The organizer might find it useful to mark each part of the card with a different symbol or letter on the back. For example, three-part puzzles could be marked A,B and C. This helps the organizer to organize the puzzles; they can put out all the A and B pieces for children to search through and hold back the C pieces to give to the children.
This mini puzzle game has been used on many occasions and has proved extremely popular with children of a variety of ages.
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