Lorna’s Gin-spiring Prompt #5 – Puzzle #Ginspired

04 Oct 2018 27 Comments

by Ritu in #LornasGinspiringPrompt, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The lovely Lorna over at Gin & Lemonade With A Twist Blog has started a new writing prompt.

She hasn’t named her challenge, so I have – Lorna’s Gin-spiring Prompt!

This week, we have the word: Puzzle

I thought about Lorna and her scary cats puzzle, and it made me think of all the puzzles I have encountered in my lifetime, from the simple wooden 4 piece puzzles of childhood, to the much more complex 1000 piece world map we have sitting in a box, with a puzzle mat ready to do, but never have the time to actually complete it!

I don’t think though, that I have ever seen something as scary as those kittens! I do love a cat, but that – no thank you!

Puzzles can be the bane of my life at work. As an early years teacher we have to provide all opportunities for the children, and you would be amazed at how many don’t even have a puzzle of any sort at home. So, out come our huge collection!

We have the simple to the slightly more complex (12 pieces – wooo!) large and small, cardboard wooden, traditional and fit the shape to the cut out ones. Obviously they aren’t all out at the same time, but still, you can imagine how things get mixed up, and then there are the children who can’t play nicely, and rip pieces, or just hide them, posting them into unreachable (at the time) places!

They can be a nightmare!

But in reality, puzzles are so beneficial for the children, looking at matching colours, following a picture, special awareness, and patience!

Nowadays, everything is so immediate, that it is good for a child to learn how to stay at a task for longer than 30 seconds!

Now, the other thing that came to mind is one of my favourite children’s books, Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson of The Gruffalo fame!

Image result for monkey puzzle bookHave you read it?

It is so cute! A story about a baby monkey who has lost his mummy and finds a butterfly to help him find her. The thing is, as butterflies don’t look like their caterpillar babies, the butterfly finds a host of other animals for the monkey, who gets increasingly irate!

The best thing is that the dialogue from the butterfly is actually written in the same rhythm as “Hush Little Baby, Don’t Say A Word” so whenever I read it to the kids, I sing those parts!

Oh I do love to read stories to kids!!

https://ginlemonade.com/2018/10/03/talking-to-strangers-about-penguins/

 

 

27 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. Trackback: How To Do More With Your Blog | Gin & Lemonade

  2. Anindya
    Oct 12, 2018 @ 18:29:21

    Right you are Ritu….children’s puzzles are always lovely, and we all have come across so many in our childhood…:)….great response to the prompt..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. CarolCooks2
    Oct 11, 2018 @ 04:16:31

    I used to love doing puzzles and haven’t for years maybe I should get one and do so again…I remember a lovely wooden one we were given as children so many pieces and so much sky and smoke it was a train coming into the station it took a while many puzzles now are cardboard and don’t fit together well which put me off somewhat …I like a wooden one …Love your take on Lorn’s prompt 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. willowdot21
    Oct 06, 2018 @ 08:23:49

    💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. Jennie
    Oct 06, 2018 @ 02:35:05

    I love this! And it is such a great book. Thanks, Ritu.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. misslittlewoodreads
    Oct 05, 2018 @ 23:13:51

    My niece is 2 (going on 12!) and loves this book. She can pretty much recite it by heart and does a brilliant impression of the increasingly frustrated monkey as she reads. I’d recommend it to anyone!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. OIKOS™-Redaktion
    Oct 05, 2018 @ 13:17:39

    Thank you for a wonderful recommendation, Ritu! Another good book to gift. Best wishes for the weekend. Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. syl65
    Oct 05, 2018 @ 13:14:24

    Puzzles keep the old brain cells sparking! Good one Sister!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Erika Kind
    Oct 04, 2018 @ 20:50:01

    Since I was a child I have been a big puzzle fan. Would love to make a big one again. I got as addicted to it as others are to their mobile phone… lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. rachaelstray
    Oct 04, 2018 @ 16:45:05

    The book sounds great and one I haven’t read before. I like a good puzzle!

    rachael | https://rachaelstray.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

My interactive peeps!