Puzzles are the perfect toy to keep toddlers engaged during this specific developmental period. Large, straightforward wooden puzzles with forms that fit into each cutout easily are a hit with one-year-olds. As they develop, switch to increasingly complex arrangements with elements of various sizes and combinations.
One of the best ways to help your toddler develop fine motor skills and achieve educational objectives is to give them puzzles to solve (1). But with so many different puzzles on the market, it can be difficult to know which ones are the best for your child.
Continue reading to find out which puzzles for babies and toddlers are ideal for teaching the alphabet, shapes, anatomy, and other concepts. Of course, there are also some enjoyable wooden jigsaw puzzles with a cute animal theme that they will like.
Our Top Picks
- Best Wooden Starter Puzzle: Dreampark Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles
- Most Educational Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Disney Wooden Peg Puzzles Set
- Best Montessori Puzzle: Hape E0411 Creative Peg Puzzle
- Best 2-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle: The Learning Journey: My First Match It
- Best Spelling Jigsaw Puzzle: The Learning Journey: Match It! Spelling
- Best Floor Jigsaw Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Traffic Jam Jumbo Jigsaw Floor Puzzle
- Best Wooden Alphabet Puzzle: BeginAgain Dinosaur A to Z Puzzle and Playset
- Best Wooden Dinosaur Puzzle: Vmini 6 in 1 Wooden Puzzle
- Best Music Puzzle: Melissa & Doug The Wheels on the Bus Sound Puzzle
- Best Puzzle For Teaching Shapes: GYBBER&MUMU Wooden Preschool Colorful Shape Puzzle
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Toddler Puzzles Picks
Dreampark Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles – Best Wooden Starter Puzzle
- Very well made
- Vibrant colors
- Easy for toddlers to assemble
- Just enough pieces to keep track of for toddlers
- They are small
This wooden jigsaw puzzle includes six different wooden animal puzzles that will surely capture your child’s imagination. It’s important to note that younger toddlers might try to put some of the puzzle pieces in their mouths, so adult supervision is recommended. However, if you notice any unsettling pieces such as owl feet, we suggest removing them before offering the toy to your baby.
They are compact and can easily fit in a diaper bag, making them ideal for keeping your toddler occupied while waiting out and about. The attractive and bold colors, along with the cute animal forms, will encourage hand-eye coordination and imaginative play. The recommended age for this toy is 12 months and above.
Melissa & Doug Disney Wooden Peg Puzzles Set – Most Educational Puzzle
- The knob is the perfect size for a toddler’s hand
- Durable
- Complete set of alphabets, numbers, and shapes
- An easy introduction to conceptual ideas
- A little pricey but at least you get 3
The Melissa & Doug Disney Classics Alphabet Wooden Peg Puzzle is here to bring some Disney magic to your child’s playtime. Your little ones will be thrilled to discover familiar faces like Winnie the Pooh and Alice hiding underneath the lettered pieces.
By exploring the letters and characters, your child will develop essential hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your kids entertained without relying on screens. This puzzle set makes an excellent gift for kids aged 3 and up, and can easily be added to their playtime rotation for even more fun!
Hape E0411 Creative Peg Puzzle – Best Montessori Puzzle
- The pegs are bendy but sturdy
- Perfect for fine motor skills
- There are shapes and colors to learn as well
- Engaging and educational toy
- All the colors are varying shades of the same name, as in the dark, medium, light pink, blue, and green, except yellow and orange
Perfect for 2 or 3-year-olds, this colorful and creatively-designed puzzle is a fantastic way to teach your little one fundamental shape and color identification. Featuring grooved shapes and pegged posts, this puzzle takes things to the next level by adding an extra level of effort.
Connect the four puzzle bases and twist the different shapes and colors onto the posts. Not only will your child have a blast, but they’ll also be developing their coordination, fine motor skills, and analytical thinking in the process. Plus, you can feel good about the materials used to create this toy, as it’s made from sustainably sourced wood with a sturdy child-safe paint finish.
The Learning Journey: My First Match It – Best 2-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
- Great size, they were larger than expected.
- Each piece is unique so you can’t connect the wrong head to the wrong tail
- Made of sturdy cardboard
- Helps with fine motor skills
- You can’t just slide the pieces together because of how they are shaped
This animal-themed puzzle is sure to capture the attention of your toddler. Matching the correct head to each tail is an engaging way to learn about different animals. The lively and colorful images provide ample opportunities for interactive and educational play.
My First Match It! puzzles are thoughtfully designed to provide just the right level of challenge for toddlers. Starting with only two matching pieces, the difficulty gradually increases as more pieces are introduced. These puzzles are self-correcting, with only one piece fitting together with any other, minimizing frustration and promoting sustained attention.
The Learning Journey: Match It! Spelling – Best Spelling Jigsaw Puzzle
- This is a well-made product with nice images and colors
- Made with a heavy-duty cardboard
- Nice size puzzle for little hands
- Easy to get pieces together
- The height of the box could be a little smaller so when the pieces are in the box they don’t slide around as much
Featuring colorful graphics on the cards that give hints about the words being spelled, your child will develop vital reading skills such as letter recognition, word building, and spelling. These crosswords include words with three and four letters, making them perfect for toddlers.
But don’t worry, self-correcting puzzles ensure that the pieces only fit when they are in the right place, which means your child can feel confident as they learn to read. Made of thick and durable cardboard, these puzzles are easy to hold and maneuver, which also helps in enhancing hand-eye coordination and fundamental motor skills.
Melissa & Doug Traffic Jam Jumbo Jigsaw Floor Puzzle – Best Floor Jigsaw Puzzle
- It is huge but easy to connect the pieces to the floor
- The traffic jam scene is fun
- Beautiful colors
- Pieces are large
- The height of the box could be a little smaller so when the pieces are in the box they don’t slide around as much
With a whopping 24 pieces, the finished puzzle measures a massive 2′ x 3′ – that’s bigger than most toddlers!
The artwork on this puzzle is simply stunning, featuring a bustling cityscape filled with speedy trains, airplanes, and all sorts of traffic. Your kids will love piecing it all together and exploring every little detail of the scene.
But don’t worry about the puzzle getting worn out after a few plays – it’s built to last! The extra-thick cardboard pieces are sturdy and durable, and the surface finish is easy to clean, so your puzzle will always look like new.
BeginAgain Dinosaur A to Z Puzzle and Playset – Best Wooden Alphabet Puzzle
- The puzzle component of this toy is an excellent problem-solving tool
- The pieces of the chameleon fit together inside the rubber-wooden tray that also contains four “corner” pieces
- Good for fine motor skill growth
- The edges are well-sanded so the puzzle pieces go together very easily
- Can be challenging for younger toddlers
The Dinosaur A to Z Puzzle is an excellent tool for sparking your toddler’s curiosity, creativity, and love for learning. Each puzzle piece is designed with an uppercase and lowercase letter, making it perfect for teaching young ones the alphabet. Once all the pieces are assembled, the dinosaur toy can even stand upright for added playtime excitement!
This playset from BeginAgain is both educational and entertaining, allowing your child to learn the alphabet while having a blast. The puzzle game also introduces your child to phonics and the names of 26 different body parts, making it an excellent all-around tool for early learning.
Vmini 6 in 1 Wooden Puzzle – Best Wooden Dinosaur Puzzle
- Comes with 6 different dinosaur puzzles
- Nice size for toddlers’ hands
- Affordable
- Very vibrant colors
- Much smaller than a standard wooden puzzle
Featuring six unique animal and dinosaur designs, this puzzle is perfect for developing your child’s patience, attention to detail, color and shape recognition, and hand-eye coordination.
Crafted from top-quality, eco-friendly wood and painted with non-toxic water-based paint, this puzzle is both safe and durable. Each piece features a polished edge, and there’s no unpleasant odor to worry about.
The puzzle’s large pieces are specially designed for little hands to easily grab and put together, while the size of each piece is big enough to prevent accidental ingestion.
Melissa & Doug The Wheels on the Bus Sound Puzzle – Best Music Puzzle
- There is an “off” switch in the back so you won’t hear random noises going off such as in the middle of the night
- When a sound is playing, no other sounds can play so you won’t have any interruptions
- The knobs are a good size for little hands
- Its a lot of fun
- The sounds do seem triggered by “light,” so if you cover the centermost piece of the figure/animal with anything, even a hand or the wrong puzzle piece, the animal noise will go off
The Wheels on the Bus Sound Puzzle by Melissa & Doug is an exciting and informative toy for your little ones. As each of the six pieces is raised, the song “Wheels on the Bus” plays along with the lyrics, creating a musical and engaging experience. The wooden puzzle is designed with smaller hands in mind, making it easy for them to handle and assemble the pieces to form a colorful image of a school bus.
This puzzle is not only entertaining but also helps to develop essential skills such as fine motor skills and auditory processing. With its sturdy plastic pegs and shaped wooden pieces, this puzzle is perfect for toddlers who are just beginning to explore their surroundings. It is an ideal gift for 2-year-olds and will provide hours of educational fun.
GYBBER&MUMU Wooden Preschool Colorful Shape Puzzle – Best Puzzle For Teaching Shapes
- It is a great tool to start teaching them their colors as well as shapes
- Very much age appropriate
- Perfect size for little hands
- Well made
- The sounds do seem triggered by “light,” so if you cover the centermost piece of the figure/animal with anything, even a hand or the wrong puzzle piece, the animal noise will go off
This is a great puzzle for young toddlers who are attracted to exciting shapes and vibrant colors. The challenge is to figure out how to fit the large wooden shapes onto the board. This fun and engaging activity helps to develop problem-solving skills.
It is designed for children aged 12 months and up, with large and smooth pieces that are painted with non-toxic, water-based colors. So, even if your little one decides to take a nibble, you can rest assured that it’s completely safe!
How To Choose The Best Puzzles For Toddlers?
- Age-Appropriate: Most puzzles are designed for children ages three and up. If your child is younger than three, be sure to choose a puzzle with large pieces that are easy to grasp.
- Difficulty: Start with puzzles that have just a few pieces and gradually increase the difficulty level as your child becomes more adept at solving puzzles.
- Theme: If your child loves animals, look for puzzles with animal themes. If your child enjoys puzzles with a lot of colors, be sure to look for puzzles with bright, primary colors.
- Value: For instance, a Montessori circle puzzle may bring the concept to life rather than merely displaying an image of a circle. Or, certain wooden puzzle pieces can be used in new counting, spelling, or animal-learning exercises.
- Ease Of Cleaning: You’ll probably want to clean the puzzles for your toddler. Look for puzzles that are durable and can withstand a toddler’s use and abuse.
What Are The Benefits Of Puzzles For Toddlers?
Puzzles are great for toddlers for a number of reasons. First, they help with fine motor skills, spatial skills, and hand-eye coordination (2). As toddlers put together puzzles, they are improving their ability to grasp and manipulate small objects. They are also learning to visually track and locate objects in space. Even the CDC recommends playing shape sorting and simple puzzle with your toddler (3).
In addition, puzzles help with problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Toddlers must figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together in order to complete the puzzle. This process of trial and error helps them to develop persistence and a sense of accomplishment.
How To Teach Toddler Puzzles?
There are a few things to keep in mind when teaching toddlers puzzles. First, choose puzzles that are age-appropriate and have large, chunky pieces. Toddlers will become frustrated if they cannot complete the puzzle, so it is important to start with an easy one.
Also, be sure to praise your child when they complete a puzzle, as this will encourage them to keep trying. Finally, don’t be discouraged if your child doesn’t show an interest in puzzles right away–some children take longer to warm up to them. Just keep offering different puzzles and eventually they will find one they enjoy.
How To Get Toddler To Play With Puzzles?
Start with simple puzzles with large pieces. As your toddler gets more proficient, you can move on to puzzles with smaller pieces. Encourage your toddler to experiment with the puzzle pieces. Let them try different ways of fitting the pieces together. Make it a game! See who can put the most pieces together in a certain amount of time. Or, make up a story about the puzzle scene as you’re putting it together.
How Many Piece Puzzles Should A 2-Year-Old Do?
A good rule of thumb is to start with puzzles that have 4-6 pieces. This will give your child a chance to practice their fine motor skills and problem-solving without becoming frustrated.
How Many Piece Puzzles Should A 3-Year-Old Do?
Most 3-year-olds should be able to do puzzles with up to 12 pieces. If your child is struggling with puzzles of this size, try gradually increasing the number of pieces until they find a comfortable challenge level.
Should A 3-Year-Old Be Able To Do A Jigsaw?
Some 3-year-olds may be able to do a jigsaw, while others may not be ready for this type of activity yet. If your child shows an interest in puzzles and jigsaw puzzles specifically, then it might be worth giving it a try. Start with an easy puzzle with large pieces and see how your child does. If they seem to be struggling, don’t force it – they may just need more time to develop the necessary fine motor skills.
Why Are Wooden Puzzles Good For Toddlers?
Many parents choose wooden puzzles for their toddlers for a number of reasons. Wood is a durable material that can withstand a lot of wear and tear, making it ideal for toddler toys. Puzzle pieces made of wood are also less likely to bend or warp, making them easier for small hands to manipulate. In addition, wooden puzzles often have more finely detailed designs than their plastic counterparts, providing a richer sensory experience for toddlers.
