In this blog post, we will explore some of the best puzzles for toddlers!
As a parent, you might wonder what kind of activities you can provide for your toddler that are both entertaining and educational. Puzzles are a great way to do just that! However, finding the right puzzles for the right age can be daunting. In this blog post, I am sharing how I introduced puzzles to my son.
You can begin introducing basic peg puzzles to your child before they reach 12 months of age. Since my toddler loves puzzles, I frequently seek out a more advanced puzzle to challenge him. We initially began with single-shaped peg puzzles when he was 7-8 months old, and he has now progressed to solving jigsaw puzzles with some help. It’s truly delightful to witness his puzzle-solving abilities evolve and develop.
Puzzles are a fun and engaging way to help Toddlers develop important skills. They can help with hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, fine motor skills, shape and color recognition, concentration, and patience. So, next time you’re looking for an activity for your little one, consider trying out the following puzzle!
Below is the order in which I introduced puzzles to my son, starting at seven months.
Best Puzzles For Toddlers
Peg Puzzles
These puzzles have large, easy-to-grasp pieces or knobs that fit into corresponding cutouts on a wooden board. They come in various themes, such as animals, vehicles, and household objects. They encourage problem-solving skills as the little one figures out which piece fits into the shape and strengthens vocabulary.
We started with basic shape puzzles, starting with this single-shaped peg puzzle when he was 7-8 months old to this Peg shape puzzle board at 12-13 months. I also recommend these Montessori cylinder blocks, which teach them visual discrimination of high and low, big and small. Here are a few puzzles to consider
Favorite Peg Puzzles
Shape Sorting and stacking Puzzles.
Shape sorting and stacking puzzles are great for matching and stacking shapes and preparing the little one for the jigsaw and complex puzzles.
We started with this shape sorter cube, and now I have introduced this advanced shape sorter, which is great for developing fine motor control and hand-eye coordination.
Favorite Shape Sorting and Stacking Toddler Puzzles
Activity Cube (another option here)
Matching Puzzles
When V was 18 months old, he would recognize if he wore the same color dress as my husband or me. We took this as a sign to introduce matching activities and puzzles to him. Matching puzzles are a great way to help toddlers develop their problem-solving and visual recognition skills. You can introduce several matching puzzles, from color matching to animal, letter, image, and number matching.
Download the above DIY Pattern-matching puzzle HERE
V loves this Animal family-matching puzzle and DIY Pattern-matching puzzle, which also improves his vocabulary and image recognition. The animal matching puzzle is helping him learn about animals and their offspring.
Favorite Matching Toddler Puzzles
Match-up Anumal offspring puzzle
2-4 Piece Puzzle
2-4 piece or jigsaw puzzles are advanced puzzles that require combining multiple pieces to form a picture. They provide a fun and educational experience to toddlers. It can help develop essential skills such as problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, cognitive development, patience, and persistence.
We started with a 2-piece jigsaw puzzle and increased the number of pieces as your little one gained confidence.
Favorite 2-4 Piece Toddler Puzzles
Advanced Jumbo Floor and Mini Puzzles
These are 28-32-piece jumbo floor puzzles. They are advanced puzzles for 3/4 above, but if your child is showing interest, why not introduce them? My son turned 3 recently, and he loves the floor puzzles more than usual, especially the ones that have vehicles. The puzzle pieces are big, making picking them up easier for little hands.
Favorite Jumbo Floor Toddler Puzzles
Traffic Jam Puzzle (my son’s favorite puzzle)
Favorite Mini Jigsaw Toddler Puzzles
Magnetic Puzzle (great for traveling)
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