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All The Best Puzzles For Keeping Kids Entertained, From Toddlers To Teenagers
Puzzles are truly fun for kids of all ages. But as a parent, you’ll be pleased to know that the best puzzles for kids aren’t just entertaining — they also help develop cognitive and fine-motor skills, along with problem-solving abilities. Plus, puzzles are an enjoyable way for kids and parents to work together towards the same goal.
When choosing a puzzle for your child, you’ll want to pick a puzzle that is challenging, but not so difficult that they can’t complete it, which means taking their age and development into account. Your little one’s first puzzles should feature large (aka non-choking hazard) and easy-to-grab pieces that might even have knobs to hold. Puzzles for toddlers are often made of wood, and are usually filled with bright, eye-catching images.
But as your child grows up, the complexity of the puzzles they can master will grow, too. More advanced puzzles will feature pieces of varying sizes and shapes, and some will even challenge your little one to learn other things like numbers, colors, or spelling. Older kids will enjoy puzzles with a large number of pieces or even complex 3D puzzles that they can proudly showcase once built. If you're not sure which puzzles match your child's age and abilities, you can always check the manufacturer's suggested age range, which I've specifically called out in the puzzle picks below.
On this list you’ll find a variety of puzzles to challenge kids of all ages. Amazon reviewers indicate that these six puzzles have provided hours of entertainment for their kiddos. And best of all, most of them are $10 or less.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
1A 24-Piece Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle For Preschoolers
Ages: 3 to 5
If your little one enjoys animals, they certainly will love this Melissa & Doug puzzle that features the sweetest illustrations of different pets. The 24-piece jigsaw puzzle is made entirely out of wood, so the pieces won’t easily get bent or damaged, even when heavily loved. The puzzle is put together in a wooden tray, which is easy to store when play time is over.
Mommas on Amazon love this puzzle, awarding it a stellar 4.7-star rating on the site. And if your child prefers trucks and tractors to animals, the puzzle is also available with a construction site image or an illustration of emergency vehicles.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My almost 4 year old was really excited to get this puzzle! He even surprised me by putting the entire thing together all by himself right after getting it too!!!!!! The pieces fit together well and they are thick and sturdy so he won't be able to break or bend them."
2A Custom Puzzle To Help Your Toddler Learn Their Name
Ages: 3+
This custom name puzzle from Fat Brain Toys is the ultimate gift for toddlers. Not only is it fun to play with, it's also a great way for little ones to learn how to recognize, say, and spell their own name. The bright and colorful puzzle is made to order — just tell the seller which name you'd like turned into a puzzle and they'll make it happen, so long as the name is nine characters or less. The puzzle is made of durable wood and decorated with nontoxic paints. Amazon reviewers seem to love this pick, giving it a 4.8-star rating on Amazon among 1,200 and growing reviews.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "What an awesome gift to give to a kiddo. We purchased one for each of our children and two have very unique names. They came fast. Stellar quality. What I really liked is that each one had different colors (The "A" in one name was a different color than the "A" in the other name). Our two year old triplets took to them super fast and were engaged with learning their name and their [siblings']. Highly recommend!"
3A 48-Piece Solar System Floor Puzzle That Little Ones Will Love
Ages: 3 to 6
Parents on Amazon rave about this awesome 48-piece solar system puzzle from Melissa & Doug, so it is clearly deserving of the 4.9-star rating it boasts on the site. When completed, the puzzle displays a beautiful illustration of the solar system, complete with a labeled sun, moon, and planets so that your child can begin to learn about the scope of their world.
The puzzle's 48 pieces are made from thick, smooth cardboard that's easy for small hands to hold and simple to wipe down when necessary. Reviewers report that the completed puzzle is truly impressive in size, as it measures 36 by 24 inches when put together.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My 4 year old daughter LOVES it! She could put it together herself, break it apart, it's big enough I don't worry about lost pieces, and they seem durable enough. It set us up for lots of talking about the solar system and the planets. What's not to love???"
4A 60-Piece Glow-In-The-Dark Puzzle For Ages 5 & Up
Ages: 5+
This pick from MasterPieces would have been exciting if it just depicted a brightly-colored image of seahorse. But it also glows in the dark, which makes it so much fun for your kiddo.
With 60 pieces, the puzzle might be challenging for your 5-year-old, but not so challenging that they can't complete it. The puzzle is made from recycled paper and colored with soy-based ink, thanks to MasterPieces' commitment to creating earth-friendly products.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "This puzzle is SO amazing!!! My grand daughter is a whiz at puzzles, and the whole glowing in the dark was a bonus!!! The colors of this puzzle are beautiful!!"
5A 500-Piece Puzzle For Ages 8 & Up
Ages: 8+
This 500-piece Galison jigsaw puzzle is a good challenge for both kids and adults, so it's a great option for family puzzling. It's made from glare-free paper and printed with nontoxic ink. The completed puzzle is 20 by 20 inches in size and depicts a beautifully vibrant scene of tropical flowers and plants, but you can also choose from a bunch of different images, such as toy trains or neckties.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Great quality with pieces that lock together well; intricacies of this puzzle make it challenging and interesting at the same time!"
6A Super Cool 3D Puzzle To Wow Older Kids
Ages: 10+
This CubicFun 3D puzzle of the Empire State Building is legitimately the coolest. It's not just a puzzle, it's a 3D puzzle — and one illuminated by LED lights, at that. The 38-piece puzzle can be assembled using the numbers that are on the inside of the pieces along with the provided instructions. The high-quality puzzles pieces are pre-cut from paper and foam. Once put together, the puzzle is a beautiful 3D replica of the 102-story building, and the LED lights really bring it to life. Your child can proudly display the completed puzzle, or disassemble it for enjoyment again and again. Batteries aren't included — it takes a few AAs.
If your child would prefer to assemble a structure that's not the Empire State Building, there's also a wide variety of other city landmarks to choose from, including the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and St. Basil's Cathedral.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "You have to buy this! Such an awesome puzzle for the price. It wasn’t hard to put together at all. [...] my son was amazed with it. Pretty tall as well. [...] Would definitely recommend."
