This puzzle helps to develop the fine motor skills of grasping, holding, and placing. It is practice for improving hand-eye coordination. It differs from many puzzles in that it asks that the child learn early spatial awareness as the pieces fit upside down and sideways. It also offers an opportunity for children to learn to identify and name the different dinosaurs.
Some ideas for enhancing and encouraging play and learning:
Find the dinosaur. Is that a triceratops?
What colour is the dinosaur?
Talk about each dinosaur. What noise do you think this dinosaur made? Is it a carnivore, a herbivore or an omnivore?
Have the child identify these dinosaurs from photographs in a book or on the internet. This will allow the child to make the transition from the stylized representations of the puzzle pieces to the real dinosaurs.
Children will love experiencing open-ended play and can use the easy-to-grab chunky animals to play with.
