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Why Puzzle?

I’ve been puzzling recently over why schools should take time out of their very busy schedule to play puzzles. Well, in terms of its long term value I think it’s time well spent.

What is agreed amongst many educators is that young learners need the ability to understand how to evaluate unfamiliar problems and work through how to solve them. This is the skill of PROBLEM SOLVING.

Problem solving is the cornerstone of school mathematics. Without the ability to solve problems, the usefulness and power of mathematical ideas, knowledge, and skills are severely limited. Students who can efficiently and accurately multiply but who cannot identify situations that call for multiplication are not well prepared.

Students who can both develop and carry out a plan to solve a mathematical problem are exhibiting knowledge that is much deeper and more useful than simply carrying out a computation.

Mechanical puzzles represent the essence of problem solving. When approaching a new puzzle, students can immediately understand what the purpose is, but the techniques that may be required to solve it may be a complete mystery.

Because they are fun as well as challenging, puzzles can teach your children to love and appreciate the problem solving process.

Puzzling Nelson use a range of proven puzzles designed to teach problem solving strategies.

The vast majority of the puzzles are designed by the company ThinFun. It’s interesting to read their philosophy: We believe having fun is great way to learn. That belief is built into every ThinkFun game. ThinkFun games engage kids and educate kids. They challenge players and nurture the thinking skills important to growth and development. Our games aren’t designed to simply occupy a child’s time. They channel the natural joy and energy of play into a stimulating, family-focused way of building essential thinking skills. This philosophy has made ThinkFun a leading provider of children’s games. We’ve won more than 200 awards so far. And we continue to work hard to develop even more games that kids will play to have fun – and to build learning skills.

The feedback from teachers and children has been equally enthusiastic. Children love the tactile nature of the puzzles and the fact that they are levelled for their ability, while teachers see the underlying educational benefits and applications to other curriculum areas and real life problems.

In addition to playing, children are challenged to reflect on their puzzling experience, outlining the object of the game, its rules and restrictions as well as aspects of it that make it difficult. Children are asked to share what strategies they employ to help overcome the problems.

The possibility exists for children to investigate the creation of puzzles. These can be either polyform puzzles, or their own challenge from a favourite game they’ve played. In addition children may seek to apply their game in the real world using PE equipment to simulate the game board and people for the figures. The focus then becomes the language of problem solving - what communication is effective and what is not.

Your Feedback is Welcome

Puzzling Nelson has just noticed the comments on its Photopeach albums:
"Thanks for coming to Room4. We had heaps of fun and lots of the puzzles were tricky. From Rylam and Room 4 @ Richmond School.
Your Games were real cool come back soon!!!!!!!
hi i realy like rush hour come back soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
your games are so awesome please come again
Hi I really liked the games. They were fun. I would like to thank you for coming. Please come again!!!!"

I'd love to come again.
Watch this space - school competition is coming soon!

Nice One Nayland

Puzzling Nelson was most impressed with the puzzling children from three classes at Nayland Primary. All three classes thoroughly enjoyed their fun and stimulating lessons, while at the same time developing useful problem solving skills.

Victory Joins the Party

Victory has added its name to the list of puzzled schools. Fingers crossed Hampden St will follow. Competition details will be emailed to teachers shortly.

WANTED. ONE MORE SCHOOL!

Puzzling Nelson believes that with one more school it can justifiable hold a Nelson schools puzzling competition. Who will it be?
Who is going to join Appleby, St Josephs, Richmond, Nayland, Clifton Terrace? Being puzzled is a truly fun and rewarding experience.

Nayland Nails It

I've been really impressed with the strategies that Nayland Primary pupils have employed in their puzzling sessions so far. The perseverance, analysis of the problem and collaboration between pupils has been excellent. What impressed me most was an idea from a child after I was telling one class of my desire to make a life sized version of Rush Hour. Having played Pete's Pike she suggested that she get 25 hoops from the PE shed and create a game board on the playground. Brilliant. She grabbed a few friends, had a little practice then the class came out to watch. I noticed that the puzzle was solved much faster than in the classroom proving that many minds make light work.

Puzzling Nelson Couldn't Help Itself

Perched, smiling, inviting me to pick it up, sat, Hot Spot. Puzzling Nelson couldn't resist. Its collection runneth over.
Seriously though, Puzzling Nelson was really looking for a puzzle where strategies could be taken from one puzzle to another. After getting to challenge card 10 Puzzling Nelson began to realise that it was necessary to break the larger puzzle into smaller intermediate steps. We then realised that this was the same strategy used in Rush Hour and many others. We also really like the fact that all the pieces called Bots are numbered which allows for the writing of algebraic solutions. It's a very easy game to set up and the Bots like all Thinkfun games are very tactile and especially easy to move.

Two New Games

Following the positive reception of Chocolate Fix, Puzzling Nelson has added two similar games to the link list.
Similar to Chocolate Fix they require you to complete the arrangement on the playing board with the given clues. Click on the images to play.

Inter School Competition

Nelson's first inter school puzzling competition is to take place this term. All schools involved in Puzzling Nelson's programme will be informed of the date and venue shortly. Any schools still wishing to take part can contact Puzzling Nelson for a visit.

Nayland Join the Party

As part of their maths programme three classes from Nayland Primary have invited Puzzling Nelson to puzzle their classes. For the first time a year 3/4 class will be involved. The teacher assures me they're up for it which sounds great - just the attitude that puzzling needs.

Levin's children, well and truly puzzled

3 days - 150 children! Phew. Both teachers and children thoroughly enjoyed the experience. For many it was their first experience with these puzzles and they took to them with enthusiasm. The blog's hit counter went past the thousand mark! Lots of thanks for the teachers for allowing Puzzling Nelson into their class and puzzling their children.

Puzzling on the Terrace

Fundraising?

Looking for a novel fundraising idea? Puzzling Nelson can organise game nights that revolve around puzzles or visual brainstorm cards. There's quite a variety of formats that can be used. Additionally they can make an entertaining staff meeting where methods of collaborative learning can be demonstrated. Cost for these can be negotiated. All resources are provided.

New Games

Two new games have been added to the link list on the sidebar - Auditorium, and Chocoate Fix. Auditorium is an online only game which requires you to move sound deflectors to bounce sound into a collection area. It becomes increasingly difficult as you go through the levels as you have more deflectors and more collection areas. Volume must be on to play this game as once the collection areas all have full volume you have won the game.
The other puzzle is Chocolate Fix which is a bit like Sudoku but with shapes and colours. The figures are so realistic children want to eat them! The appeal for teachers is its ease of transfer to pencil and paper and the important skill of using the available clues to eliminate possibilities. Another Thinkfun product which will soon feature amongst Puzzling Nelson's collection.

Puzzling Nelson Visits the North Island

It's true, Puzzling Nelson is going overseas - well, the Cook Strait at least, destination - Levin Intermediate School where six classes and their teachers are going to be well and truly puzzled.

Puzzled Richmond

Daffodil day coincided with Puzzling Nelson's visit to Richmond Primary. Three senior classes were puzzled in one day. Very enthusiastic feedback was received from both the pupils and teachers with one teacher saying that this is just the sort of programme they've been looking for. At an upcoming interschool sports fixture they want to include puzzles as one of the "sports!" Why not?

Are You Ready Richmond?

Four senior classes at Richmond Primary are about to be puzzled next week. Should be a great treat for the teachers and pupils allowing a little post ERO stress release. Thinking caps will need to be fitted tight as the problem solving skills displayed by other skills is mighty high.

Clifton Terrace

If you are year 6 at Clifton Terrace prepare to be puzzled in week 7 term 3. Your teachers are very excited about this experience and it's certainly going to give your brains a good working over.

How to Play

CHOCOLATE FIX

Choose a challenge card.

Use the clues on the card to place the chocolates in the correct position.

HotSpot
Choose a challenge card.
Match the bots to the card. Bots may only jumping over one or two other bots.
The object is to get the red bot to the red circle. Horizontal and vertical moves only are allowed. Two large bots are unable to fit beside each other.

TANTRIX
Several ways of playing.
Flip tiles so numbers face up.
Take tiles 1,2 and 3. Note colour of tile 3 - yellow.
Make a yellow loop. Grab tile 4. Note colour. Make a loop of that colour using the first 4 tiles and so on.

RUSH HOUR
Choose a challenge card.
Match the vehicles to the card.
Move vehicles forward or backward to allow the red car to escape through the gap.

PETE'S PIKE
Choose a challenge card.
Match the figures to the card. The goal is to move Pete (red) to the centre circle.
Figures may only move if they are in line vertically or horizontally with each other.
When figures move they must stop at the circle immediately beside the figure that they are in line with.

HOPPERS
Choose a challenge card.
Match the frogs to the card.
Object of the game is to leave the red frog remaining.
Frogs may only move by jumping over one other frog and landing on the peg immediately beside. remove the frog that has been jumped over.

RIVER CROSSING
Choose a challenge card.
Fill the holes with tree stumps. Place planks between the stumps only where there is a shaded section.
Object is to get the man from one side of the river to the other.
Man may walk along the planks, he may stand on a stump, pick up the plank and place it to link to the next stump.
Planks must fit precisely, no plank fits diagonally.

TIP OVER
Choose a challenge card.
Match the crates to the card. Place the man at the red square to start. Object is to move man to the red crate.
Crates may be tipped over horizontally or vertically. Man may walk along fallen crates and along the tops of crates. He may only move from one crate to another if they are lying beside each other.

AIRPORT
Choose a challenge card.
Use the six tiles to place them on the planing board so that the airplanes fit perfectly over the challenge card.

SHAPE by SHAPE
Choose a challenge card.
Place the tiles on the board to match the card.
The video is in Spanish but you'll get the idea.

SAFARI RUSH HOUR
Choose a challenge card.
Match the animals and jeep to the card. Object is to allow the jeep to escape through the gap. Animals may move forward or backward. Jeep may move forward or backward, vertically and horizontally.

TREASURE QUEST
Choose a challenge card.
Match figures to card. X = the man. Green objects are fixed and cannot move. Arrow pieces can only be pushed by the man forwards or backwards only in the direction they are indicating. Object is for the man to push the gold out the gap.

St Josephs are Puzzled

Last Thursday saw the beginning of Thursday lunchtime puzzle club at St Josephs School. Having been introduced to these last year there was quite a crowd who turned up keen for more.

Appleby Guinea Pigs

What a great success! The first class of the Puzzling Nelson programme absolutely loved their one and a half hours of puzzling! Thanks Mr Lambie for the opportunity and well done Maungatapu class for your participation and enthusiasm.
Don't forget to vote for your favourite puzzle and keep puzzling!

First School

Appleby School will be the first school to receive the benefits of a puzzling day. We're going to give Ian Lambie's class a brain work out like they've never had before. I'm really looking forward to the morning as is Helen from Crackerjack Toys.

What Puzzles are they?

This is just a sample of some of the puzzles we will use. As you can see they are very appealing. For most puzzles there are challenges from beginner 1 to expert 40 so they are suited for all levels of ability.
Click on the image to play the games.

There is currently no online version of Pete's Pike but the link to this game requires similar moves.