DIY Popsicle Puzzle: A fun game to enjoy this summer

  • May 24, 2021
  • DIY Popsicle Puzzle: A fun game to enjoy this summer

    There’s nothing like the summer heat to make you crave a yummy popsicle! While we may all be cooped up indoors this year, the few things we can still enjoy are these little treats. But what if you could do more than just eat a popsicle?

    This week, our co create activity is inspired by the popular summer treat! We will be making paper popsicles and designing them into puzzles that your little one is going to love playing with. 

    This activity is brought to you by Disha Shah, a DIY blogger and mom to 3-year-old Tvisha. Today, she will be showing us how to create and play with a Popsicle Puzzle.

    Benefits of the Popsicle Puzzle

    This simple cardboard-based activity is not just a ton of fun, but also helps your child in their development. The benefits of playing with this are:

    1. Learning shapes: The different shapes and patterns in the game will help your child learn the names of different shapes and how to tell them apart. 

    2. Learning alphabets: The uppercase and lowercase letters on the popsicles will familiarise them with the alphabet.

    3. Learning numbers and counting: Counting the pieces of each popsicle and joining them together will hone their numerical and mathematical skills. 

    4. Visual discrimination skills: Matching each part of the puzzle and placing it correctly will help them with visual discrimination.

    5. Cognitive skills: Playing with a puzzle will sharpen your child's focus, concentration, and problem solving abilities.

    6. Prewriting skills: Tracing along the patterns of the popsicles will help them get comfortable with holding and manipulating a pencil, which is crucial to writing.

    7. Fine motor skills: Moving the small pieces of the puzzle will hone their fine motor skills.

    8. Imagination: The gorgeous designs and delicious-looking popsicles are sure to spark their imagination. 

    Creating the Popsicle Puzzles

    Age Group: 

    This activity can be enjoyed by children between 2.5 to 5 years.

    Materials required:

    1. A few small pieces of cardboard (depending on how many popsicles you want to make)

    2. Craft knife/scissors

    3. Acrylic/poster colors and a paintbrush

    4. Marker pen

    5. Thick cello tape 

    How to create the Puzzle:

    1. Cut the cardboard pieces in the shapes of popsicles.

    2. Paint them in different colors. Add borders and patterns.

    3. Write alphabets and numbers on different sections of the popsicles.

    4. You can stick cello tape across a few popsicles for your child to draw on.

    5. Cut the centre part of the popsicles in different shapes and keep it separately.

    Playing with the Popsicle Puzzle

     

    Match the pieces - Ask your child to find the missing piece from each popsicle and match them. Cut a few pieces in the same shape and size. Ask them to mix and match patterns and come up with their own unique popsicle! Talk to them about the names of different shapes as they play. 

    Alphabets, Numbers, Colours - Read out the alphabets and numbers on each popsicle. You could ask your child to count the number of lines there are on one popsicle and to tell you the names of the colors on them.  

    Trace the popsicle - For popsicles that you have covered in tape, ask your child to trace their patterns with a marker. You can simply wipe it with a wet cloth and go again until they perfect it!

    Pretend play - These popsicles also make for yummy additions to a pretend play game. Your child can play Ice Cream Store or Restaurant and have their favorite flavor of popsicles all day along!

    Add more of a challenge: For older children, you can cut each popsicle into several pieces and ask them to join it separately. Feel free to get as creative as you like!

    We hope you’ve enjoyed this activity. If you would like to share your experience playing this, tag us at #CoCreatewithshumee. Stay home and stay safe!

     


     

    Disha Shah is a DIY blogger who creates smart play ideas for children. You can follow her @momkid.smartplay on Instagram.

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