Category: Brain Development

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The Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest things ever invented. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved putting puzzles together. I have fond memories from my childhood of sitting down with my grandma, doing puzzles and chatting. She even used to gift all of her adult grandkids a puzzle every year for Christmas, which only fueled my love of puzzles. She would often set up a puzzle to work on when we’d come for Sunday dinner— she knew my husband liked puzzles, too. 

As I’ve had children of my own, I’ve always kept puzzles in our game closet. When my kids were babies and toddlers, I’d get the chunky wooden puzzles that matched shapes and colors. As they grew, we progressed to the 24-48 piece puzzles. Now that my youngest is in preschool, we’ve started doing bigger puzzles together. My 4 and 5 year olds can easily do 48-100 piece puzzles on their own, or with little help. My older kids do really well with 300-1,000 piece puzzles. They’ve provided us with lots of quality family time and memories as we’ve worked as a team to put them together. 

This morning, I sat down with my daughter and helped her do a puzzle, and it got me thinking about the many benefits that come from puzzles, and how they are more than just a quiet activity for people to do. 

People who do puzzles can benefit in the following ways:

  • Increased short-term memory
  • Reduced stress and anxiety
  • Improved fine motor skills
  • Improved spatial awareness
  • Increased problem solving abilities
  • Better mood
  • Screen-free time
  • Quality time with friends and family 
  • Time to relax and take your mind off of other things
  • Increased concentration— this is especially good for people who tend to jump from one thing to the next
  • Improved collaboration skills
  • Improved cognitive abilities
  • Increased attention to detail

I’m sure there are many more I could add to this list, but what is on the list shows just how beneficial doing puzzles can be. The best part about these benefits is that they aren’t just limited to children. People of all ages can experience these positive side effects! They are a universal tool for people of all ages and abilities. 

Puzzles don’t have to be limited to just a home activity; teachers can use them, too! Puzzles make a great activity for centers, free time, or group time. They will get students focused, having fun, and working on their critical thinking skills. Those are things I think every teacher can get behind!

The next time you’re bored, have some free time you don’t know what to do with, or just need a change of pace, grab a puzzle and get to work! I promise you will find yourself more relaxed, happier, and feeling more accomplished as you enjoy some puzzle time.

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Non Fiction Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring

Finding engaging, interesting non fiction books for teenagers can be a bit tricky sometimes. They don’t want to be bored by a book that reads like an encyclopedia or text book, and they need a book that is written on their level. Imagine handing an eighth grader a book about the discovery of bacteria and other germs that is written with a bunch of medical terms and jargon— you’d probably end up with a room full of frustrated kids who can’t understand what they are reading. It just wouldn’t go over well. 

Thankfully non fiction books written for and geared toward teens are becoming more prevalent. I was always on the hunt for good informational texts to teach to my junior high classes. One of my favorite books to teach to my eighth graders was a book called Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. 

The book recounts a fascinating true story of a man named Phineas Gage, who, by an unlucky turn of events, was the unfortunate recipient of a tamping iron being blasted through his head while working on a railroad construction site in 1848. The rod, measuring 1 1/4” in diameter and 3’7” long, weighing just over 13 pounds, entered through his open mouth, passed behind his left eye, and exited through the top of his head. The tamping iron continued airborne and was found around 80 feet away from where Phineas was struck. How the accident happened is riveting in its own right, but what’s even more amazing is that somehow, Phineas survived the ordeal, and lived another 12 years after the accident!

The book follows Phineas after his accident, describing the personality and mental changes he experienced as a result of his injury. It also describes the amazing amount of brain research that Phineas was part of, and how this research led to the discovery of new information about how the brain works and what certain parts of it control.

It really is a fascinating story. Gruesome, as the title warns, but fascinating. Eighth graders would eat it up. It had just the right amount of gross, cool, interesting, and relatable to keep them engaged as we read through the text. It lent itself to a great opportunity for cross-curricular instruction and gave students a chance to learn some really cool things about the brain. 

We always started the unit with a little background knowledge on the brain. I would show some real MRI scans and we’d map out and learn the different parts of the brain and what their functions are. We would learn about early beliefs about how the brain works and talk about how far our knowledge of the brain has come. 

During the unit, we would discuss personality, sleep, brain development, and decision making. I would show short videos talking about how crucial sleep is for proper brain development, and videos about the teenage brain. I had students complete their own personal “mind map” where they filled a head-shaped outline with words and drawings of things that made them who they are. We would dive into how surgical protocol and procedures have changed for the better over time; they were always amazed that medical procedures were performed under such non-sterile conditions (as was I!). 

We always ended our book study and unit with a research paper. Their topic was fairly open, as long as it was written about anything that had to do with the brain, its function, its science, etc. I would have papers turned in about dreams, the effects of music or art on the brain, learning deficits, speech disorders, cognitive and other disabilities, and so on. 

It truly was an engaging unit, filled with so many opportunities to learn new information as well as make connections to what they already knew. I loved that it was a unit that combined English and Science, and that students were given the chance to use many different methods of learning: reading, research, video/technology, art, and critical thinking. 

Even if you’re not in the market for a good non fiction book to teach to your class, keep it in mind for when you are or for when a student wants a recommendation for a good book to read. You can also add it to your own personal To-Be-Read list and watch as your mind becomes engrossed with this fascinating and true story! 

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The Wonder of Sleep

There are certain things that are essential for our bodies to have in order for them to function as they should: water, food, and sleep. Without these three things, our bodies would simply not work. Food and water fuel us and give us the nutrients, energy, and hydration we need to keep going. While sleep doesn’t provide us with nutrients, it is still essential to our survival. Children and teens, especially, need sleep. But why is it such an essential element of our survival? Let’s talk about it!

Sleep is beneficial for so many reasons. I know I personally function much better when I’ve had a good night’s rest, and I know my kids do too. I often wonder why my kids fight bed time with all they have, and find myself thinking that one day, they will realize just how amazing sleep is! 

Brain Development

Sleep is absolutely essential for brain development. During sleep, the brain is able to sort through the day’s happenings, save what it needs to, and delete what it doesn’t. Hormones that promote growth and repair are also released during sleep. Since the brain continues to develop and mature into early adulthood (I’m looking at you, frontal lobe!), sleep is incredibly important for children and teens. 

Cognitive Function

Have you ever tried to read, do math, think through things, or do really anything that requires any amount of focus on little sleep? Did it go well for you? Getting good sleep plays a big role in the brain’s ability to function cognitively. Proper sleep helps children’s brains to be able to process and understand information, retain what is learned, and focus on the task at hand. All of those things are part of their daily lives, especially once they are in school. 

Physical Function and Growth

Trying to do physical activity when you aren’t well rested is hard. Movements are sluggish and energy is low. Sleep also plays a big role in physical growth and development. During rest periods, the body is hard at work, growing, developing, and changing. 

Emotional Function

I don’t know about your kids, but with less sleep, my kids are an emotional mess! And let’s be honest, so am I. Lack of sleep can create a perfect storm for increased emotions, less patience, and increased anxiety. It is harder for kids to regulate their emotions when they are tired. Everything seems to be exaggerated when they are tired. Sleep is an excellent sanity saver!

Immune System Function

Sleep does wonders for the body’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses. When a person is asleep, the body is able to go to work repairing, healing, and fighting off the bad guys. Have you ever noticed that you get sick easier when you haven’t been getting enough sleep? Or that when you are sick, you just want to sleep all the time? Kids are the same way. Sleep is a natural way to heal the body. More sleep = healthier kids, and that’s something we all want!

Sleep is so much more than a cozy bed and rest. It is essential for the body to function at its fullest. Kids and teens who are still growing and developing especially need sleep to allow their bodies to grow and develop like they need to. Without sleep, I think we’d have a bunch of groggy, grumpy, brain-fog plagued kids on our hands. And I can’t think of one teacher or parent who wants that for their kids! Sleep is crucial, and does amazing things for us!