Highlights Shapes helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Working Memory: Recalling and retaining information in our minds while working. 

Highlights Shapes is a great way for young children to practice early working memory skills. In the shape matching activities, the child needs to know what shape will fit into a space in the puzzle while simultaneously picking it up and moving it to that space. For the color matching activities, they need to remember what colors they have previously mixed together as they are anticipating creating new different color combinations. These activities help young children keep small chunks of information in their heads while performing motor activities such as dragging and dropping on their mobile device or tablet. 

Planning: Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.

Each puzzle in Highlights Shapes requires a level of planning that is developmentally appropriate for young children. They need to look at the solid colored shapes they are given and choose where they fit in the puzzle. Before they pick the shapes up to move them, the child needs to look and plan out where they will go. This is especially important in harder puzzles where there are multiple pieces featuring different shapes and colors. For color mixing activities, the child needs to think about the color they want to create before they combine any of the other colors together.