Have you ever found yourself immersed in a puzzle? I certainly have. As a former subway rider, I often worked puzzles as I traveled. If the puzzle was too difficult, it was frustrating. But if the challenge matched or was just a little bit above my skill level, I loved it! I enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction when I was able to finish a puzzle, and the time flew by. I think children like puzzles for the same reason we do. Puzzles provide enjoyable ways for children to build and practice their emerging skills. Because puzzles are fun, children will persist and discover that sticking to a task pays off. They feel an enormous sense of accomplishment when they’ve achieved their goal. Seeing the tangible results of mastering a new skill builds their confidence to take on the next challenge. This month, we provide another in our series of “Look and Look Again” puzzles (pages 24 and 25). We ask children to hunt for the similarities and differences in two pictures. This encourages a great deal of talking and careful looking. There is a lot to describe in this little playground scene— and some differences that even you may not find at first! Parents often tell us that children eagerly look for the puzzles when a new issue arrives. That’s not so surprising. Working a puzzle that’s not too hard is just good fun—we know that it’s also Fun with a Purpose™! Enjoy “puzzling it out” together!