Here is a homemade puzzle you can make from a bundle of craft sticks and any picture you like. Line the sticks up, stick a picture across them, cut between each one, and you have a simple jigsaw to jumble up and put back together. It is quick to make, it costs almost nothing, and you can tailor it to whatever a child loves. Ages 2 to 4.
What you need
- A handful of craft sticks, also called popsicle sticks.
- A picture: a printed photo, a page from a magazine, or one of your child’s own colored-in pictures.
- Glue, and scissors or a craft knife for grown-up hands.
- Paint, if you want to color the backs.
Making the puzzle
If you want a tidy reverse side, paint the backs of the sticks all one color and let them dry. Then line the sticks up snugly in a row, side by side, and tape across the top to hold them together while you work.
Spread glue across the lined-up sticks and press your picture down on top, trimming it to fit. Once it is dry, peel off the tape and carefully cut between each stick so the picture splits into strips. Now you have your puzzle pieces.
How it plays
Mix the sticks up and let a child line them back up to rebuild the picture. Matching the edges and working out which strip goes where is good for looking closely, for problem-solving, and for the careful finger control it takes to nudge the pieces into place. A photo of a familiar face or favorite toy makes it extra appealing, and if you painted the backs, you can flip the whole thing over for a one-color puzzle that is a little trickier.
Because they are so cheap to make, you can build up a little set: a few sticks each, different pictures, kept together in a bag for whenever you need them.
For a ready-made picture to turn into a puzzle, print and color one of our free animal coloring pages first, and for more hands-on play, our CD stacking builds the same careful finger control.