What You’ll Need

• Sticker paper
• Candy tin, cleaned and emptied
• Scissors
• Markers
• Heavy paper
• Self-adhesive magnetic strip

What to Do

1. Cut the sticker paper so it will cover the candy tin. Cover the tin with the sticker paper, and use markers to decorate it.
2. Cut out a 2-by-3-inch piece of heavy paper, and draw a picture on it.
3. Cut the picture into half-inch strips. Stick a self-adhesive magnetic strip to the back of each picture strip. Cut the strips into equal squares.
4. Mix up the pieces of the puzzle, then put it together, using the tin as a board. Store the puzzle pieces in the tin.  

Extend the Fun

Younger kids: If your little one has no problem with one puzzle, help her make another picture to turn into a puzzle—and store it in the same tin. Start by having her use different colors in the second picture than she did in the first. This will make it easier to tell the puzzles apart.

Older kids: Instead of drawing a picture, encourage your child to write the letters of the alphabet on heavy paper. He can apply the self-adhesive magnetic strip as before, then cut out each letter. Then he can use these letter tiles to form words, play a guessing game with a friend, or make a mini crossword puzzle.