PUZZLE IN A SHOEBOX from "Games for Preschoolers" (BJ10) Product with more ideas in www.welearnbydoing.com

      Skills Reinforced:  Working together, thinking   

      Procedure: 

1.     Two groups of children sit on the floor in two different circles. 

2.     Two shoeboxes are filled with puzzle pieces in it.

3.     If an 8-piece puzzle is used, then have eight children sit in a circle.  Keep the same amount of puzzle pieces for each group. 

4.     At the signal, the first child pulls out one piece of puzzle from each group and places it in the middle of the circle and returns to their spot.

5.     The shoebox is passed to the second child who places it next to the other puzzle piece.

6.     This continues until all 8 pieces of puzzle are next to each other.

7.     As the groups start again with the first child, that child has 10 seconds to try to connect two pieces together.  If the child does it or does not do it, that child returns to their spot and the next child tries to connect two pieces.

8.     This continues around the circle until the puzzle is completed.  Remember if a child connects two pieces of puzzle together only, they must return to their spot.  

9.     The first team to complete the puzzle is the winner.