Photo/Emily Rogers.
The Parkland Regional Library System (PRLS) has partnered with the Central Alberta Woodworkers Guild (CAWG) to offer a variety of wooden puzzle kits for intergenerational programming.
The kits are designed to develop children’s manual dexterity, and for seniors who are experiencing developmental and cognitive challenges, to improve their motor, nervous, or hand/eye coordination skills.
Each kit includes a variety of wooden puzzles and toys, ranging from slotting blocks into place to building wooden boats, trucks, and planes with the provided tools.
"The idea was simply that we're going to create program kits that were based on woodworking that could be used by children or seniors,” said Ron Sheppard, Director of the PRLS. “Who doesn’t like doing a 3D puzzle? They are tremendously entertaining.”
The kits were created using repurposed oak from discarded church pews.
Each project took Mike Rondeau, Vice President of the CAWG, roughly two weeks to plan, source materials, and build 15 of each puzzle.
“The hardest thing was trying to figure out how to keep the puzzles together, but when you flip it upside down, you are still able to use it and take it apart again,” Rondeau said.
Another woodworker, Vic Park, helped build the picture puzzles, making multiple prototypes, and gathering feedback from CAWG meetings.
“I'm really happy with the way it turned out, we wanted to do simple little details so you can tell one kit from another,” Rondeau said. “I’m pleased with how the final design turned out and I think people are going to be pleased to see it.”
The CAWG is always looking for community projects and encourages anyone with an idea to reach out on their website.
Going forward, PRLS libraries will have the ability to bring the kits into their libraries to host various programming events.
Currently, the puzzles are not loanable to the public.
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