Summer vacation can be the perfect time for puzzle-lovers to exercise their brains. But truly great puzzle books for young kids are surprisingly hard to find. While there are books aplenty for adults, puzzle books for kids can often be dull, overly “educational,” repetitive and uni-themed (page after mind-numbing page of word-searches for instance).
I searched high and low for something different when my kids were younger, and was glad to finally find what I was looking for in the Games & Puzzles series by Helene Hovanec and Patrick Merrell.
These books contain a range of activities—crosswords, riddles, mazes, etc.—accompanied by neat illustrations, puns, and jokes. They are thoughtfully designed to tease the brain, while also appealing to a sense of fun and need for variety. Parents can enjoy this series too, and I do suggest some level of adult involvement, particularly to flip through and identify the activities that are best matched to a child’s level of literacy and ability to decode instructions.
Of the series, these are the two we have tried:
Age group: 7-11
Age group: 6-10The following two we have not tried ourselves, but I feel confident of the quality, given that they are by the same publisher and author-illustrator duo:
Ages group: 6-10
Age group: 6-10If you have other good suggestions, please feel free to share. Here’s hoping that “summer-slide” mitigation rises above drudgery and remains fun for all involved!
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