Puzzles (go only on the mat)

Adelaide has liked puzzles lately.. In fact, at the moment she likes them a lot more than books (I don't even remember, when did she want to read last time.. But no worries, the book period will return again) or arts, or anything else.

She has pretty much mastered the peg puzzles that we have. Even though still likes those too.. Takes all 4 of them and puts them together. But I thought it's time for some next level puzzles. It was a bit difficult at first to understand, what kind of puzzles should be next.. Because they shouldn't also be too complicated for her. The Kavanaugh Report had a post about toddler puzzles, that was helpful.

So searching internet shops for good puzzles (that is not that easy at all.. I would like the puzzles, if I buy them, to be Montessori worthy - meaning, with nice, realistic, beautiful images, not cartoon-looking), meanwhile I found ones that we had gotten second-hand from some relatives - and apart from images being not what I would exactly want, they are fine enough! At first I took out only the zebra (or easel, I thought at first it's an easel, so we call it that) and rhino, as they are the simplest ones - from 2 and 3 pieces. And I barely had time to introduce them (Jasmiina's Christening came in between), she already was able to put them together! So I brought out also another puzzle with a cat mother and baby.. And then also lion from 4 pieces, which was a bit harder (they are hard to put together.. The image is quite cartoon-ish and it's hard to see, what it should look like, and the shape is irregular, which also makes it harder), but after a couple of times doing it together she is getting the lion too! So this morning I brought out an elephant as well.. And that one she took and put together herself, to my surprise, because I didn't think she could do it without help yet!

Of course, I'm trying not to help, or as little as possible. And mostly she doesn't even need or ask for my help, for example, I'm doing something, turn around - and she has done them all! This morning she was eating her breakfast.. And as I watch, she has run away and has started doing her puzzles! :)

And yes.. I mentioned before about the Montessori mat (carpet) that we have started using.
It's the same as I described about the apron in the last post - it helps to stay concentrated, less distracted. Mat on the floor is a work station. The child chooses whichever work she wants to do, brings it onto the carpet, it creates this certain environment, so other things don't get in the way and nothing gets messed up together. It helps to stay organized, and once the work is done, it gets taken from the mat back to it's place.

I had bought the little carpet already a while ago, and sort of introduced it a bit, but not really. Because most of her trays are on the shelf at her work corner, and extra carpet is not really necessary there. But puzzles are at a different place - at the tv stand, near our book area. And there is the carpet (right now it is more or less in the same place always, our home is simply not as big right now to have possibly different working spaces), and with the puzzles it really started being used the way it's supposed to. Because she knows that the puzzles go on the carpet. Brings the box of the puzzles to the carpet, and only there we put them together, and afterwards we put them back (not immediately though, as she likes to look and admire the ready-made puzzles, and I respect that, but certainly before the other puzzles or anything else is being brought to the carpet). This worked out great, as she at first was trying to put them together while holding in her hands, and that's hard, of course, so it made sense and she got it very quickly, that it's easier to do them on the carpet.