4 replies to this topic

[terrydoo73]

We have a large cabinet with 3 shelves on it and to be honest our children are not making use of the jigsaws available. We have put the jigsaws in the butter/margarine type tubs with photos on the outside to say what is inside. We think we need to get a different system of display but are limited to space. Can anyone advise what they do? We did see one recently in another playgroup that used a plate display stand just set on the ground and thought it was good but it really limits you to a maximum of say 4 jigsaws out at any one time and the jigsaws need to be the wooden board type - we don't really want to give up the many good jigsaws we have built up just to go out and buy expensive ones if you understand what I mean. We have a bit of money at present but don't want to go overboard!

[sunnyday]

Haven't got any great advice - sorry - but will be interested in replies as ours are not 'displayed' either........they are also on a shelf unit - what tends to happen is that I will put some out on a table and the children know that they can 'help themselves' to others......we have so many that some are kept in the cupboard and then every once in a while I will change those that are 'out'...........our puzzles are very well used though..........have you tried 'adult support' in your puzzle area?

[Inge]

sorry, no real answer to this one.. ours were all on a shelf in a cupboard and they helped themselves, or we also had a filing cabinet with bottom drawer of them in clear plastic A4 folders with a popper on them.

Always needed adult input and help to teach them it was Ok to remove them and how to return them after use if no one else was using it..

Larger photos in an album or on the wall with them?

we didn't always have them out though and rotated them with other items.. often think if it is always there the need to use them is lost but by removing and making changes makes them exciting and different again.. we did find later in the year they were seldom used as they had seen them many times over..

[Beehive]

I have always found this to be a problem. I think puzzles on shelves don't always look inviting as they are flat and not very noticeable. We currently have a 'puzzle table' with four or five puzzles on which we change each day. Children can choose which ones we have or we make the selection ourselves. We put the really popular ones out more often, and make sure we have a selection of different types, e.g jigsaws, inset, 3D etc as well as selecting what the puzzle shows e.g. number, letter, space, nature, matching etc. It does work well and they are in constant use, but the downside is that there is only a small selection at any one time.
Beehive

[terrydoo73]

At present we have been focusing on "snow" type pictures as children showed an interest in these so we have out different size puzzles - one that says the word snowy with a lovely picture of a snowman, then there is a Postman Pat jigsaw puzzle, we also have a Fireman Sam jigsaw puzzle both of these because children have an interest in these particular characters. We have also included a few animals who live in the cold climates and they are quite detailed and again there is a Pingu character snow type picture. We do try and encourage children to participate in them and sit with each while doing so. We have included a large picture of the actual puzzle but I am thinking of changing the actual shelving system to a small table with perhaps the photographs on the wall behind them to show these characters and maybe that might make them interested?? I think if they are in the wooden trays you can set them on a lip type display but we don't have these type of jigsaws throughout.

Today we started to overhaul all our jigsaw puzzles and sort them into boxes - farm, winter, summer, pets, animals etc etc and therefore helping us to perhaps just put out say about 4 each week and then change them over. We are conscious that some children never go to this area so always have out say like 3, 4, 6 and 9 pieces only rather than being do difficult but there is always that one child who is able to fly through the simple so you have to have something more challenging.