Puzzles for Panabaj

Candelaria has been working in the community of Panabaj for over 3 years now.  She is our Traveling Library Coordinator and every Monday afternoon, she journeys to the tiny Panabaj Community Center nestled between coffee bushes, dirt roads and small square houses to bring 2 hours of fun to the children of Panabaj.  Each visit includes a story, a creative art project and a critical thinking activity.

Last Monday, Candelaria packed up a box of puzzles to share with the children at the Panabaj Learning Center.  I was intrigued to see how such a simple game could bring hours of entertainment to the students.  In addition of "playing" with the puzzles, I observed how the children quickly discovered strategies for linking their puzzle pieces.  This may seem like a simple task for children growing up in developed countries who are surrounded by educational toys and games.  However, for the students of Panabaj toys such as puzzles, memory, and building blocks are hard to come by.  At La Puerta Abierta, we strive to provide opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking skills through play.