Category
Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles from first wooden trays up to 352 piece artist puzzles, plus sliding puzzles, pocket puzzles and puzzle books. The piece count is printed in most of the product titles, which is the fastest way to shop this section.
A puzzle is one of the few toys where the difficulty is honestly declared on the box. Too easy and it is finished once. Too hard and it is abandoned halfway and never opened again.
Brands in this category: Mideer and Classic World.
57 products, $7 to $34, 38 in stock
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How to choose
As a rough guide, a chunky wooden tray puzzle suits a toddler, twenty to sixty pieces suits four to six, and a hundred pieces and up suits seven and over. Buy slightly under the level a child can manage when the puzzle is a gift, because finishing it is the reward.
Look at the picture as carefully as the count. A busy illustration with a lot of colour separation is far easier than a large area of one shade. Pocket puzzles are the travel answer, and the artist series is the one people end up framing.
Questions and answers
How many puzzle pieces suit a three year old?
Start with a chunky wooden tray puzzle or a set of about twenty large pieces. From four to six, twenty to sixty pieces works well, and from about seven, a hundred pieces and up. When the puzzle is a gift, buy slightly below what the child can manage, because finishing it is the reward. The piece count is printed in most product titles here.
What makes a puzzle easier or harder?
The picture matters as much as the piece count. A busy picture with lots of colours is easier than one with a big area of sky or sea in one shade. Bigger pieces help small hands. A sliding puzzle or a pocket puzzle is a different kind of challenge, and a good choice for car journeys because the pieces stay in the frame.
How much do kids puzzles cost?
The 57 puzzles here cost from $7 to $34, and half cost $16 or less. Most are from Mideer, whose puzzles carry real illustrations, with wooden tray puzzles from Classic World for the youngest. A puzzle is an easy gift to get right, because the difficulty is printed on the box.