Connect the dots puzzle (partially solved)

Connect the dots (also known as connect-the-dots, dot to dot, or join the dots) is a form of

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzl ...

containing a sequence of numbered dots. When a line is drawn connecting the dots the outline of an object is revealed. The puzzles frequently contain simple

line art Line art or line drawing is any image that consists of distinct straight lines or curves placed against a background (usually plain), without gradations in shade (darkness) or hue (color) to represent two-dimensional or three-dimensional objec ...

to enhance the image created or to assist in rendering a complex section of the image. Connect the dots puzzles are generally created for

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

. The use of numbers can be replaced with letters or other symbols. Versions for older solvers frequently have extra solving steps to discover the order, such as those used in

puzzlehunt A puzzle hunt (sometimes рuzzlehunt) is a puzzle game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles. A puzzle hunt can happen at a particular location, in multiple locations, or via the Internet. In a puzzle hunt, a puzzle is usually not acc ...

s and the connect-the-dots crosswords invented by Liz Gorski.

Other uses of the term

In adult discourse the phrase "connect the dots" can be used as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...

to illustrate an ability (or inability) to associate one

idea In common usage and in philosophy, ideas are the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of bei ...

with another, to find the "big picture", or salient feature, in a mass of data. It can mean using extrapolation to solve a mystery from clues, or else come to a conclusion from various facts. The Connect the Dots drawing technique of GPS Drawing involves recording an artists GPS data only at certain points along the route. This can give the image the appearance of a dot to dot puzzle as most of the lines are straight no matter the geography of the area. Reuven Feuerstein features the connection of dots as the first tool in his

cognitive development Cognitive development is a field of study in neuroscience and psychology focusing on a child's development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of the developed adult bra ...

program. The

travelling salesman problem The travelling salesman problem (also called the travelling salesperson problem or TSP) asks the following question: "Given a list of cities and the distances between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each cit ...

asks what numbers to assign to a set of points to minimize the length of the drawing.

References

{{reflist Puzzles

Other uses of the term

See also

References