Inside Out Puzzle from Discovery Toys

Ok, this is the COOLEST puzzle ever!! It's not your usual puzzle.

It's the Inside Out Puzzle!

At first glance, it looks like a plain old puzzle in the shape of a house. But, when you take a closer look, you see the puzzle pieces are strangely shaped! That's because, when you take them out and flip them over, they are in the shapes of household items!!

The pieces (which include family members, a car, a clock, a bookshelf, a car, etc, etc!) can then be used in imaginary play as the family wanders around their house. Yes...when the pieces are removed, they reveal the inside rooms of the house! So cool!

How can you use this puzzle to increase language skills?
Well, first, it's a great way to teach vocabulary. What I do is put the puzzle pieces in a bag and have my students take them out one at a time and label what they see. Again, teaching words in categories is one of the best ways to teach vocabulary.

It's also a nice way to work on talking about the functions of objects. I have found that young kids who have a hard time talking about the functions of objects (for example, "tell me what you do with a clock") are kids who may continue to have trouble with listening and talking later on. So, as you are playing with your child, you can say things like "I am getting a book. I read a book. What do you do with a car?" and see if they can answer.

You can also work on conversational skills as you and your child are pretending. Have the mommy talk to the child and encourage your little one to do the same. Model good grammar skills and long sentences.

The Inside Out Puzzle is recommended for kiddos age 4 and up, but even my friends (who are MUCH older than 4...ahem...) enjoyed the challenge of this puzzle...even putting it together with the household items side up. We could have re-named it the Upside Down Puzzle...;)

The best thing?!? It's on SALE for the amazing price of $12.50. But, act FAST because once they are gone, they're GONE!!
Check out the Inside Out Puzzle here at my website or contact me with questions.

Keep on creating!
~Marcy