Selecting Puzzles To Make Magnetic

Puzzles for kids are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. From four feet long floor puzzles to glow in the dark jigsaws, many kids’ puzzles would make striking wall art. Consider the following when deciding which puzzles to make magnetic:

• How thick are the pieces?
• How heavy are the pieces?
• Is the puzzle durable?
• Is the puzzle easy to wipe clean?

Your puzzle will need to be thick enough so that the individual puzzle pieces are easy to grasp when on the wall. Also, because your puzzle will undoubtedly see repeated play, the pieces should be sufficiently thick to not bend or warp easily.

The weight of your puzzle determines how much of the Extra Strength Magnetic Sheet you would need to apply. Light weight puzzles, like floor puzzles, need only a strip. Chunky wooden puzzles may require a complete backing.

Because a magnetic wall attracts a lot of activity, your magnetic puzzles should be durable. The pieces will be dropped numerous times, played with, and generally pushed around. Select thicker cardboard puzzles and wooden puzzles for great durability.

If you have applied chalkboard paint over your magnetic wall, you will want to select puzzles which are easy to wipe clean. This is a good idea in any case, as the magnetic puzzle will probably stay out of the box a good, long while.

You will need adhesive magnetic sheets, your puzzle, a pencil or pen, scissors, and an exacto knife or similar sharp blade.

First, trace around an individual puzzle piece, and cut the shape out with scissors. This prevents slicing through the sides of your wooden puzzle. The resulting magnetic piece will be a hair larger than your puzzle piece.

Apply it, and carefully trim the excess with your exacto knife, holding it at an angle. (I used an Olfa Touch Knife, which is nice to hold.)

As you move from piece to piece, make the best use of the magnetic sheet by cutting them out in order.

Melissa and Doug Floor Puzzles are very desirable because they are 20% thicker than other brands, and have an “easy-clean” surface coating.

Adding adhesive magnetic sheets to floor puzzle pieces is quick and easy. It is not necessary to affix magnetic backing across the entire puzzle piece. Although these puzzles are very durable, they are light in weight.

For my kids’ dinosaur floor puzzle, I chose to cut each magnetic sheet into ten strips with a pair of kitchen scissors, and simply press one strip to each piece of the puzzle. As soon as the pieces were up on the wall, the kids took interest, and each took a turn putting it together.

Creating A Chalkboard Wall

Chalkboard paint can be applied directly over your magnetic primer. Be sure to use at least three coats of magnetic primer, per the manufacturer’s instructions. Ensure that your magnetic wall is clean and dry before applying the first coat of chalkboard paint.

As with the magnetic paint, framing your area with painter’s tape is necessary for a professional appearance.

Your chalkboard wall needs to have a smooth finish for two reasons. First, the smoother the finish, the easier it is to write on and clean. Secondly, the magnets cling better to even surfaces. A smooth foam roller works best.

Chalkboard paint is very thick and creamy. Carbon Black gives it its deep, rich color, and seemingly oily consistency. Despite this, the wet paint cleans up easily with water.

Because the chalkboard paint is so thick, you will want to be very careful when edging with a brush to apply it in an even layer. Both the roller and the brush can create lines if you are not looking closely.

After the wall has fully dried, usually around 24 hours, you can apply a second coat.

The finished chalkboard wall stands up to repeated use, and chalk marks are easy to erase from its smooth, slightly shiny surface. The wall can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth.

Where To Keep The Chalk?

Consider placing a piece of molding below the chalkboard wall to protect the floor. As kids draw on the wall, a fair amount of chalk dust falls, and a simple ledge of molding can be dual purpose. The molding will catch the chalk dust, and if it is grooved or recessed, you can use it to store the chalk pieces.

I used to manage a card store, and you would be surprised at the quantity of paper dust, glitter, and velvet dust which accumulates from cards being shuffled about in a card run. I found that the most effective way to clean the runs was with a good vacuum with a hose attachment.

If you decide to use a piece of crown molding below your chalkboard wall, vacuum it out first before wiping it with a damp cloth when cleaning. Also, be sure to run a bead of caulk to seal the molding to the wall on the inside.

Because I have hardwood floors, and our chalkboard wall extends to the floor, I chose to hang a small ceramic wall planter on one side of the wall to house the chalk.

Some Fun Activities

There are so many ways to use your new magnetic chalkboard wall, and of course the kids will think up countless ideas on their own, but here are a few fun ideas.

• Use magnetic letters for stenciling
• Draw a habitat for animal and dinosaur magnets
• play hangman with magnetic letters
• trace around your sibling
• measure your height
• use the magnets to post favorite pictures, then draw them yourself with the chalk
• use magnetic pattern blocks to create over-sized, imaginative creatures
• teach beginning reading and writing skills
• teach beginning math skills
• create your own, movable, art gallery
• post or write reminders

Additionally, magnets with animals, dinosaurs, people, and fun shapes are great for imaginative play.

Because your wall is a chalkboard as well, kids can draw trees, houses, and anything else they can imagine for interactive pretend play with the magnets.

While magnetic walls will hold the plastic magnetic letters with the small bar magnets, these are not nearly as secure as magnets with magnetic sheet backings.

Moreover, the bar magnets can come loose and fall out, which can present a choking hazard.

I bought both kinds of magnetic alphabet letters, and have just replaced the plastic ones with the nice Melissa and Doug wooden ones.

Also, the Melissa and Doug set contains both upper and lower case letters, which is great for teaching beginning reading and spelling skills.

They are actually walls coated with layers of special paints which contain minute particles of metal. Because of this, they are not harmful to electronic devices.

As with most mixed substance paints, magnetic wall paints are fairly thick.

Rust-Oleum Magnetic Primer is a good quality paint at a reasonable price point.

The area which is painted will differ from the surrounding area enough to warrant taking a few extra steps.

1. Determine where you wish to create your magnetic wall. For children, the area should be low on the wall, for easy play.
2. Clean the wall and let it dry thoroughly.
3. Tape off the area using a level or T-square to ensure proper corners.
4. Prime or lightly sand the wall if necessary. (If it was previously coated with glossy paints, oil-based paints, etc.)
5. Thoroughly mix your magnetic wall paint. It is very important to keep re-stirring the paint, as the metal particles are heavier, and will settle to the bottom.
6. Apply several coats of paint with a smooth foam roller, remembering to mix the paint every time you pour it.
7. Apply a couple of coats of colored paint for looks, and remove the tape.

The more coats of magnetic wall paint, the stronger the attraction. Therefore, be sure to apply several layers.

To create a frame for your magnetic wall, browse through the house trim section of the hardware store. Chair railing is very attractive, and can be easily cut and tacked up to frame out the area. There are a number of inexpensive moldings which may be used, and a wide variety of styles.

Some of the many uses for magnetic walls include:

• Learning letters and creating sentences with alphabet magnets
• Learning math with magnetic numbers and symbols
• Creating imaginative scenes with magnetic pattern blocks
• Making your own gallery for photos and drawings
• Imaginative play with fun animal, dinosaur, or habitat magnets
• Posting reminders