Which Puzzle Is Right for My Child?
Kids love puzzles, and there are so many different types. For building fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills, puzzles can’t be beat! How do you know what to pick?
To many parents, trying to make sense of the huge variety of formats and styles can feel like a puzzle in itself. Feel like you’re missing a piece? Check out our puzzle primer to find the perfect fit for your child.
Choose Puzzles for Kids by Age & Interest
Best Puzzles for Babies
Before real puzzles come into play, babies develop puzzle skills with simple in-and-out toys. Our soft and whimsical Fill & Spill play sets are a great example of in-and-out toys. Babies love to place the easy-grasp objects in and dump the pieces out – again and again! Each fill & spill set is like a velvety, squishy puzzle with no wrong answer. Plus, the adorable pieces each make a playful sound whenever baby shakes or squeezes them.
Best puzzles for toddlers
Around age one, children delight in fitting a piece into the “right” spot. Try a Jumbo Knob Puzzle with just a few big pieces. Pieces with large handles like this are easy for little fingers to grasp. Plus, a matching picture is shown underneath each piece to help the child guide each piece into place.
Best puzzles for older toddlers
For older toddlers beginning to engage in imaginative play, Chunky Puzzles are ideal. Both puzzles and play sets, they feature big pieces that are easy to hold and thick enough to stand up for pretend play! They also make good first manipulatives—use them for counting and sorting.
Like Knob Puzzles, Peg Puzzles offer something to grasp—in this case, a smaller handle that requires a more precise grasp. Some Peg Puzzles have pairs of pieces that fit together in a single space—a big step toward jigsaw puzzles! Pictures under pieces help guide each piece to its home.
Best Puzzles for Preschoolers
Preschool kids embrace the challenge of Wooden Jigsaws—just like “big kid” puzzles, but with helpful aides like a puzzle board that defines boundaries and a limited number of pieces.
Floor puzzles are another great introduction to jigsaws: They have proportionately larger pieces and make a big impact, so they can serve as an encouraging introduction to cardboard jigsaws. They’re great for teamwork, too—ideal for social preschoolers!
JIGSAW TIP: Wondering how to choose a piece count? Consider the number of inside pieces to gauge the challenge: a 12-piece jigsaw has 10 side pieces and only 2 middle pieces; a 24-piece puzzle has 8 middle pieces, etc.
Choosing Puzzles by Theme
Does your kid love dinosaurs, farms, or things that "go," like trains, planes & automobiles? These are just a few of the many themes that kids can find in puzzle form, from our youngest Jumbo Knob Puzzles to our trickiest jigsaws! Following one theme can be an exciting way to see skills progress. It also encourages subject knowledge as the artwork grows in complexity.
From here, enjoy browsing through the different types of puzzles to see what fits your family best. Explore themes, formats, and piece counts. Then let the puzzling fun begin!
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Want more puzzle-themed content from Melissa & Doug…click the blogs below!
Melissa & Doug Shop All Puzzles
Melissa & Doug Shop Best Selling Puzzles
Melissa & Doug Shop Toys by Age
Finding the Best Puzzles for 3- & 4-Year-Olds
How To Find The Best Puzzle For Your 2-Year-Old
How To Find The Best Puzzle For Your 1-Year-Old
Choosing Puzzles for Your Child
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