WinterABC2022 Stories of Innovation: Unforgettable mind games

When I was growing up I rarely played in the street with other kids. My playmate was my big sister Tadiwanashe. During the weekend my mother allowed my sister and me to go and play at the Shamu’s residence or Zothi and Panashe would come to our house. At our house, it was a punishable offence to play with mud so on some days my sister and I could get bored easily. The boredom could result in a fight and as a punishment, one of my aunts would ask us to come to the house.

The boredom was unbearable and I longed for the weekends so that I could play with Zothi and Panashe. As a way to kill time, one of my aunts introduced a dirt-free game. My mother had once bought jigsaw puzzles that were now gathering dust. Mainini Tendi was patient enough to teach us how to make a puzzle. When we had mastered the skill Mainini Nyarie introduced a competition. One was expected to put the puzzle pieces together while being timed. The person who completed the puzzle slowest was expected to buy everyone a treat at Our Milk(a tuckshop that was close to our house). Putting the puzzle pieces together while being timed was exciting and I was glad that my aunts were part of the game.

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Sometimes one of my aunts would lose and they had to abide by the terms of the game and buy a treat at Our milk. The jigsaw puzzle improved my concentration span because I used to get carried away whenever I was doing anything. Although putting the puzzle pieces was fun it was also helpful in many ways. The jigsaw puzzle helped with boredom, brain development, creativity and even teamwork.