Want a great shape puzzle for your kids? We got you! This DIY sun bleached shape puzzle is great for kids of all ages like toddlers, preschoolers, and even kindergarten aged kids. Making a shape puzzle is not only easy to do, and fun, but it is also budget-friendly. Making your own shape puzzle is great whether you’re making one at home or in the classroom.
Make Your Own Sunbleached Alphabet and Shape Puzzle
Puzzles are a great way to help kids work on problem solving, fine motor skills, and they’re fun! You get a sense of accomplishment when you complete them! And they’re educational in other ways.
That’s why I like this homemade shape puzzle so much. It will not only promote creativity as your child makes them, but it’ll teach them patience as they wait for the sun to do it’s job. Then they can try to figure out where all the pieces go on the shape puzzles! So much fun and yet so educational at the same time as your child explores shapes, colors, letters, numbers, and matching.
This post contains affiliate links.
Related: Check out this easy sunscreen science experiment perfect for toddlers.
Supplies Needed To Make Your Own Shape Puzzle
- You need construction paper. The cheaper the better. I used high quality art paper the first time and it didn’t bleach well.
- A sunny day. Being in Texas, we have lots of those!
- Shapes (alphabet magnets, blocks, coins, wooden discs, etc.)
How To Make Your Own Sun Bleached Shape Puzzle
Step 1
Gather all your materials needed like the magnets, blocks, coins, etc as well as your paper.
Note:
The darker the paper the easier it will be to see the shapes.
Step 2
Place your items on the paper anyway you want. Spell your name. Spell words. Make math problems. Or use the small items to make shapes.
Step 3
Let your paper and items sit outside for at LEAST an hour.
Step 4
Move your shapes and check to see if the colors around the shapes are lighter. If not give them more times.
Step 5
Give the papers to your child with a basket of the items and let them place the items over the shapes left by the sun.
Our Experience With Making A Sun Bleached Shape Puzzle
I was inspired to make this Sunbleached Alphabet and Shape Puzzle after reading the post by S.B. of, S.B. Creatively, she took advantage of the summer sun to create a mat where her kids practiced letter identification.
We adapted it to create a few puzzles for my youngest. We created one with alphabet and letter magnets and another with different shaped blocks from around the house. It was so fun!
I love how the block shapes helped my toddler work on early geometry skills. It was fun watching her rotate the blocks to try and replicate the image. We hope your kids enjoy puzzle making!
Thanks to Nicole of Activity Mom for sharing this post with us!
How To Make Your Own Shape Puzzle
Make your own shape puzzle using simple items. This puzzle craft is perfect for kids of all ages and budget-friendly!
Materials
- Construction Paper
- Shapes- alphabet magnets, blocks, coins, wooden discs, etc
- Sun
Instructions
- Gather all your materials needed like the magnets, blocks, coins, etc as well as your paper.
- Place your items on the paper anyway you want. Spell your name. Spell words. Make math problems. Or use the small items to make shapes.
- Let your paper and items sit outside for at LEAST an hour.
- Move your shapes and check to see if the colors around the shapes are lighter. If not give them more times.
- Give the papers to your child with a basket of the items and let them place the items over the shapes left by the sun.
More Fun Summer Activities From Kids Activities Blog
- Fun Summer Ideas for Activities
- 23 Ways to Play With Water This Summer
- Printable Summer Activity Sheets
- Awesome Tie Dye Projects for Summer
More Puzzle Activities From Kids Activities blog
- Make your own math puzzles using popsicle sticks.
- This jigsaw puzzle allows you to put together your own artwork to display on your wall.
- Did you know you can make your own puzzle using greeting cards?
- Check out these free printable mix and match puzzles for kids.
- I love this picture puzzle craft so much!
- Have you seen this sweet DIY toddler puzzle made by their siblings?
- I love this shape puzzle! You make this shape puzzle using playdough and LEGOs.
- Here are some fun shape activities!
- Check out these other homemade puzzles.
More Letter Activities From Kids Activities Blog
- You’re going to love these awesome letter a crafts.
- Check out these 15 beautiful letter b crafts and activities!
- Cool, more letter c crafts!
- We have so many great letter D crafts and activities.
- I love these letter e crafts and activities.
- Take a look at these letter F crafts and activities.
- You’re going to adore these great letter g crafts and activities!
- Take a look at these letter H crafts.
- We have so many great letter I crafts.
- These letter J Crafts are so much fun.
- Looking for some kid-friendly letter k crafts? We go em!
- Love these letter L crafts!
- Magnificent letter m crafts just for you!
- Wow, these letter n crafts are awesome.
- Oh look, letter O crafts!
- The perfect letter p crafts and activities.
- These letter q crafts are great.
- We have so many great letter r crafts.
- Sweet, more letter s crafts!
- Terrific, so many fun letter t crafts.
- Unbelievably awesome letter u crafts.
- Vivid letter v crafts and activities.
- Want some wonderful letter w crafts?
- I love these 12 letter x crafts.
- We have 13 letter y crafts and activities too.
- Zingy letter z crafts for kids!
Leave a comment: Did your kids have a blast with this fun summer activity?
Thankyou so much for featuring me in this week’s post! I linked up from another site so hadn’t seen it! I’m really grateful!
When you taking a look at building a shed you really need quite a few outdoor shed plans
If you don’t happen to have letters, you can get foam bath letters at Toys R Us for cheap! There are also, the small foam type in craft store with the peel and stick backs, leave the peel on and reuse them for something else or use the darkened area as a shadow and stick the letters on offset from the darkened area.
What a great idea!! I teach our the pre-k at our homeschool co-op and have been looking for something to do for them to work on over the summer and I think this is perfect and easy and wont break our budget!!!!!