WengsWorld - Jigsaw Puzzle Activities for Kids

Since I started organising the jigsaw puzzle competitions, the competition format naturally attracted more adult rather than children participants. However, some participants who took part with their children suggested that separate competitions or events could be organised just for the children alone. Others also asked the same on my Facebook page.


Rather than organising a 'pure' competition involving only children, where the focus would probably be on the task of completing the puzzle in the quickest time, I decided to try to do it workshop style, to try to use the jigsaw puzzle as the focal point of the interaction between the parent and the child. In focusing on the process (ie, the journey towards completing the puzzle) rather than just on the end goal (ie, of actually completing it), I thought it would be a better way to introduce and promote jigsaw puzzle making among the children.


With that in mind, I managed to incorporate my jigsaw puzzle workshop for kids as part of the Eastpoint Mall's jigsaw puzzle publicity event for the mall. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the response to the workshop was poor. Despite almost 2 weeks of publicity by the Eastpoint Mall, and also publicity by myself using Facebook and other free platforms, only 1 family each signed up for the workshops on 11 Mar 2012 and 18 Mar 2012. And 1 of them was my colleague!  :)


On 11 Mar 2012 when I arrived at the mall and met my colleague, I actually felt embarrassed that he had signed up for my workshop which had such a poor response. However, I had to carry on doing what I had planned to do. Along the way, 2 other families 'walked in' to take part in the workshop too, thanks in part to the event emcee's promotion of it over the mike. The workshop was conducted in the open, at the atrium of the first level of the mall.


On 18 Mar 2012, I was not so lucky. The family who pre-registered before the day turned up for the workshop, but no one else walked in. So in total, 4 families took part in the workshops over the 2 days which, no matter how you look at it, was a minor disaster.


Still, of the families who did take part, I think there were many positives to take away.....and smiles!  :) 

I'm not convinced yet that the concept is entirely wrong, but I will need to tweak the publicity (ie, do more of it) and maybe the setting (ie, have it in a less open setting) to see if things improve. And if it doesn't improve........well......... it will!  :)