Disney Princess Jigsaw Puzzle

Last Christmas, my daughter Ali received a jigsaw puzzle from her godmother. It had 1,000 pieces in all!

My friend Tess (Ali's godmother) asked my mom what Ali liked to do and what she was good at. My mom then proudly told Tess that Ali was very good with puzzles.

Prior to this newest jigsaw puzzle, the puzzles we had at home were pretty simple. These were puzzles with pretty big pieces and Ali enjoyed these to the hilt. She was quite good too.

Since Christmas, though, Ali, together with almost everyone in the house, her yayas and lola, in particular, have been working on the 1,000 piece puzzle day in and day out. With sheer persistence and determination, we are probably down to the last 50 pieces. We can see all the faces of the Disney princesses already! Watching Ali work on her puzzle when I am around, I can really proudly say that she does have the knack and the talent for it. She can find pieces easily and can figure out where a particular piece goes.

I was so proud of the work that she has done so far that I told her the other day: "Wow, you're about to finish your puzzle. Maybe we can tell Ninang Tess to give us a 2,000 piece puzzle next time?"

Ali paused and then said: "Is 2,000 more than 1,000?"

"Yes," I answered and then Ali replied: "That will take forever!"

Anyway, here are some tips and reminders for puzzle makers out there:

1. If you think it's impossible for you to complete a particular puzzle, you are probably mistaken.
2. Don't work on a complicated puzzle in one go. It can give you a headache. Work on it for short periods of time daily to prevent yourself from burning out.
3. Find all the sides and corner pieces first.
4. Group all the pieces with similar colors and designs to make the pieces easier to find.
5. Work together with a group to make things more fun.

So, if you are looking for an activity that the whole family can enjoy and do, why not try working on a jigsaw puzzle together? When you are done putting it together, you may get some puzzle glue, frame the puzzle, and display the puzzle in your house as a remembrance of your determination and persistence.