A Little Koi Woodshop

Sarah McEachern

"I fell in love with puzzles when I was given a Yamanaka Kumiki wood barrel puzzle when I was 12yrs old. Over the years I have been introduced to so many wonderful puzzle designers and styles.

I make puzzles to help students build connections and develop confidence in themselves and with each other.

The puzzles are XXL and often made with recycled materials. The size is deliberate so students collaborate, brainstorm, try, fail, explore, think, play, laugh and have fun. They may arrive at the solution or not but this is one context where it doesn’t really matter.

My first XXL puzzle was the Yamanaka Kumiki Elephant 20yrs ago. It is 2’ x 1’ in size and heavy. As the years progressed I began to design my own puzzles for students. I have a fondness for creature puzzles and the ladybug is a fun sequential puzzle (more puzzles are in the works.). My puzzles are not very complex but challenge students to work together, listen to the ideas of others, and experiment."