Inspiring story about Mosaic Mysteries‏

Read this story from a woman who purchased a Mosaic Mysteries game for her husband who suffers from dementia. It is an inspiring story and makes me proud to be selling Discovery Toys that have a positive impact on the lives of children and adults. - Jennifer



My husband Harry plays with the puzzle at least once a day, and sometimes two or three times. Most of the time he just does concentric circles of colors, as he's into matching like things together (cards into sets of numbers or suits, etc.) Everything has to be arranged "just so", including lining up the glass and silverware with the design of his placemat, and the placemat with the grain of the wood of the table. That is why this puzzle is so good for him. Recently he has been putting pieces of one color spaced around the edge, and then fitting other colors in between. I've watched as he stared at it, then selected a new piece. It is fascinating to watch his thinking process. While he has lost a lot of brain function (due to vascular dementia), I am watching him re-access some of his previous design knowledge.

He had lost his ability and desire to draw (I did mention that he was a professor of art and regionally recognized painter with many awards for his artwork?), and has come back to making drawings again. I think I helped him regain this ability by providing the toys for him to play with. They allowed his hands to be busy, and in turn that stimulated the part of his brain that still understood art and design principles. I began with a Magna Doodle, which he scribbled on for hours every evening for months. He tore one completely up he worked so hard. He then found a pen and decorated the front of a magazine filling it with scribbles. I asked him if he would prefer a piece of paper, which he accepted. I had been trying to get him to draw for months but he had declined. I think he was aware that he was losing his ability to draw, his hands shook so much. Now, though, he seems to be less afraid to try, as he is even less aware of his surroundings. It has been about two years since he began to draw again, and he has regained many of his skills, producing quite a large number of designs, landscapes, and portraits. Although these works are nothing like his previous work, we celebrate their uniqueness and provide him with something to do with his time. I really believe that his ability to draw again is a direct result of manipulating the toys and playing pieces.

I hope I haven't bored you with my little history here. I am just so thrilled with his new art, as are all of our friends who know Harry's story, that I like to share it. In fact, I have created a slide show of his new artwork and have presented it to a couple of groups already, the first with the Seven Oaks Art League where Harry and I have been members for years. I have also been asked to share it with the Caregiver Coalition of the Midlands (Columbia area) annual conference in November. I will definitely give credit to Mosaic Mysteries, and Discovery Toys in my talk!