Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles!
We love puzzles and problem-solving toys. My three-year-old is a thinker. She has more fun working on a puzzle or problem-solving than most other toys. And now her younger sister is following a similar trajectory.
Puzzles and problem-solving toys are the last category on our foundational toys list, but by no means the least. Kids need puzzles and problem-solving toys in order to work on critical thinking skills, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and well, problem-solving!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through some traditional and non-traditional puzzles, and lots of options for toys that encourage problem-solving and critical thinking.
I had a really hard time deciding what to put in this list because there are so many good options out there. I hope this guide can help you narrow down all those options and find the perfect gift!
As always, you need to be the judge of whether a toy is appropriate for your young child’s abilities and interests. I find it’s best to pick a puzzle that challenges but does not frustrate your child. This makes for us and our kids much happier.
After browsing our top puzzle and problem-solving toys, be sure to read my tips for extending puzzle play.
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Sea Life Puzzle // Safari Animals Puzzle // Farm Animals Puzzle // Dinosaur Puzzle // Things That Go Puzzle // Construction Vehicles Puzzle
Melissa & Doug Wooden Chunky Puzzle
We have just started collecting puzzles ever since we first played with the massive collection at our local library. She loves these Melissa & Doug wooden chunky puzzles, and I do too!
Not only are they solid wood, durable, and hardwearing, the chunky pieces are easy to grab and can be played with as stand-alone figurines.
These Melissa & Doug puzzles are perfect for young toddlers because under the puzzle piece is a picture of the piece that goes there to help little ones put the right shape in more easily.
We started with the sea life puzzle, but I’ve got a few more I want to get this year and put links below in the order I’m planning to get them in. (Yes, these toy guides are just a glorified shopping list so that when birthdays and Christmases roll around, I’ve got my next thing ready to buy.)
If you are looking for more on your own, make sure to check that they are not the peg kind as some types with the peg in the middle have thin pieces that can’t stand up like these chunky pieces can.
I would recommend getting two animal sets. That way you can mix up the pieces and sort them as you talk about animal habitats for yet another way to play!
Our library has this puzzle rack for storing their puzzles. Fits up to 12 puzzles (both the chunky puzzle size and larger).
Wooden Wonders Balancing Block Play Set by Imagination Generation
I wrote about this game in my complete toy buying guide. These are cute little animal pieces that you can stack on a hard surface, or on the wobbly farm block.
This one was challenging for Elena at 18 months, so she mostly played with them as individual pieces. She was disappointed that she couldn’t put them in the barn, though.
Kids will work on fine motor skills, critical thinking, and (the reason for this post!) problem-solving.
Here’s a few other options:
“Blockbeard” pirate set (though more difficult to play with individual pieces, like what do you do with the pirate heads? hmm….)
Noah’s ark (2 of each animal, of course!)
Lewo animal set (which we own and love!)
Tomy Hide and Squeak Eggs
Someone gifted us these ADORABLE little Hide and Squeak eggs and Elena loves playing with them. There is so much to learn and play with in this little half dozen egg set.
The eggs have different shapes on the bottom that fit into the matching shapes in the carton.
Each little chick inside is a different color and matches with the colored faces on the outer shell.
Plus, when you push down on the chick, it squeaks! Squeak, squeak!
It was a challenge at first for Elena to even open the carton. Then she discovered the different shapes on the bottom. And finally, she played by matching the colors. Sometimes Elenawill play with these as actual eggs for pretend cooking.
Elena was two when we got these, but I could see a one-year-old or younger wanting to play with this set as well.
Fisher-Price Stack and Roll Cups
This toy doesn’t look like much at first… just your standard nesting cups set right? WRONG!
These bad boys can be nested, stacked, or snapped together to make 5 different sized balls! The little smiley at the top has a bell inside and can be hidden inside one of the balls.
Get these for a baby and he will keep playing with them in new ways as a toddler.
I can already think of several different ways to play with these cups, especially in combination with other toys. Color sorting, pretend cooking and eating, matching games, rainbow drums, hide-and-seek games, um, yeah, I think these are a great foundational toy!
Alex Discover Button Art
Fine motor skills will get a workout in this button art set. Toddlers will enjoy putting the buttons in the holes. As they become more interested, they can create the art by matching the colored buttons to the colors on the cards.
The pegs are more vibrantly colored than they appear here. They kind of remind of those food pouch lids that I like to save for color matching games and water play, so already there is another use for the pieces in this set!
It is under $10 right now, so although the cards are more flimsy than I would like, it still may be worth it even for just the buttons to be used as manipulatives in a variety of counting, patterning, and sorting activities.
Russian Nesting Dolls
Yes, there are tiny pieces once you get past the fifth or sixth doll, but Elena just loves our two sets so much and we’ve gotten several hours of play out of them, so I had to put the idea out here!
I know matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls) are not the first thing you think of when I say “puzzle” or “problem-solving toy,” but they really are.
The dolls need to be nested in the proper order for them all to fit together. The tops and bottoms need to be matched correctly, and you have to match up the designs so they look like one piece. There’s a lot of problem-solving going on!
Additionally, they can be played with as standalone dolls. Elena has also stacked these in numerous ways (like just tops in pyramid style, or just bottoms like nesting cups), so I believe these would make a lovely heirloom gift for a child.
This particular set from Amazon had good reviews and a lot of people mentioned how large they were (tallest doll is 8″ high), so I think this would be a good set for a child to play with.
I do like the bit of culture these matryoshka dolls bring. Russian nesting dolls were originally meant to be played with but have evolved into an art form. There are some very elaborate ones out there!
I also looked for a less delicate plastic set and found these little nesting penguins and these fun little robots. Check them out if your child is not into dolls.
Top Bright Wooden Shape Sorter
How cute is this! It’s a cement truck shape sorter! Plus it comes with a little truck driver!
A shape sorter is for sure a good foundational toy, as you can obviously teach shapes, but you can also teach colors if you have brightly colored set, and do some stacking with the shape blocks.
This sorter has the added bonus of imaginative play and can be pulled around on the string. You can spin the barrel and tip it to dump out the blocks. All in all, a fun, educational toy!
**Note: The blocks are wooden, but the truck is a mix of plastic and wood.
Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Wooden Rescue Vehicle & Garage Toy
One of my nephews is obsessed with firefighters and police officers, so I’m considering getting him this for Christmas.
It’s a wooden fire truck, ambulance, and police car that can be sorted in the color matching garage. What makes this a unique problem-solving toy is the addition of keys to lock and unlock the garage doors!
The keys will keep little toddler hands busy and working on their hand-eye coordination and color matching. When they tire of that, there is always the rescue vehicles to play with.
Woo-ooh-woo-ooh-woo-ooh! (I’m 99% positive that’s how you spell the sound a siren makes.)
A similar toy is this M&D Wooden Doorbell Dollhouse.
Eric Carle Matching Game by The Wonder Forge
Does your child like The Very Hungry Caterpillar? This is one of Elena’s favorite books. We have also just discovered matching and memory games, so this would be game I think she would love.
The cards/tiles are a sturdy chipboard and feature art by Eric Carle (author of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? The Tiny Seed, and more!). There are 72 tiles, so you’ll want to play with only 4 or 5 pairs to start with.
If you’ve never played Memory, basically, you mix up the cards and turn them all over. Then you take turns choosing two cards at a time with the goal of finding a matching pair.
For a young one, you could have the whole set face up and challenge them to find matching pairs or play I Spy.
You could also play Go Fish with these, though the chipboard could be tough to hold in one hand.
Afterwards, you can read an Eric Carle book and do a matching puzzle.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and jumbo puzzle
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? book and simple puzzle pairs
I think these in combination with the matching game would make a perfect gift basket for an Eric Carle lover.
Grimm’s Water Wave Stacker
Grimm’s rainbow is a favorite among the Montessori/Waldorf people, but did you know there are other nesting sets in the “Elements of Nature” collection which are equally beautiful?
I decided to feature the water wave stacker because the shades of blue are so pretty and I like the ocean 🙂
These open-ended puzzle toys enhance a child’s creativity and imagination. The pieces can be laid on their side to make pretty patterns or stacked in different ways to create bridges or houses or fences for play with animal or doll figurines. It’s pretty amazing to watch a child play with these and get a glimpse into their creative brain.
I love how beautiful the Grimm’s sets are. They look like art pieces that I could display on a bookshelf in the living room. They are wooden and painted with child-safe non-toxic water-based paint and dyes.
Be sure to check out the fire flames nesting set as well.
Grimm’s can be pricey, but Lewo makes a similar concept, but different style, colorful wooden puzzle set for less. Take a look if you’re interested.
Other Puzzles to Love
Here are a few jigsaw puzzles that are adorable and perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
The Petit Collage Beginner Puzzles are lovely, unconfined animal-shaped jigsaw puzzles. I love this forest babies set of four puzzles.
Crocodile Creek Birthday Bear is a traditional rectangle jigsaw puzzle with 24 pieces and a whimsical illustration. Below are more floor puzzles from Crocodile Creek.
OK, here’s my favorite. I like these Mudpuppy Pouch Puzzles because they store neatly away in a zipper POUCH! Such a great idea for puzzle storage. You could easily toss one in your purse for play at the restaurant when you need to keep kids busy and quiet. Each pouch has 12 extra thick chunky pieces.
One Last Tip for Extending Puzzle Playtime
Sensory bin!
Almost anything can be turned into a sensory bin, right? Fill a container with your favorite sensory bin filler (dry beans, rice, popcorn kernels, nothing wet of course) and hide the pieces of a puzzle in it. Let your child dig and scoop to find the pieces and then put it together.
If you’ve got an older child who needs a challenge, why not mix up a few different smaller sets of puzzles and have them sort the sets!
Do you have any other tips for new ways to play with puzzles?
Building toys are also great for building critical thinking skills and hand-eye coordination. Check out our favorite classic building toys and our favorite building toys for little ones.
I hope these toy guides and gift ideas help you find the perfect gift for any kid on your list!
For more on building a toybox of only toys your child will play with and love, read this complete toy buying guide.