Looking for awesome gifts for your toddler? Puzzles are some of the BEST things you can give your baby and toddler to play with! Not only are they fun, but they are GREAT for your toddler’s development! To top things off…they are basically all super affordable! I especially love wooden puzzles for toddlers because they are more sturdy so they can survive our wild child’s rough handling, and they are must easier for their little hands to maneuver. So what are the best wooden puzzles for toddlers?
I’m excited to share my toddler’s all time favorite wooden puzzles, but first let’s address a couple common questions!
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What Age Should Toddlers Do Puzzles?
Toddlers should start doing puzzles as early as 18 months! It is fantastic for their development! It never hurts to start introducing puzzles to them at an even earlier age. Start with some simple beginner wooden puzzles first, and before long they will be moving on to more advanced puzzles!
Are Puzzles Good For Toddlers?
YES! Puzzles are great for toddlers!
Toddler puzzles teach and develop a wide range of skills! They’re a great change of pace from so many of the other toddler toys that have a bunch of lights, sounds and gadgets. Puzzles allow your toddler to start learning to art of FOCUSING on a single task.
Some of the most important skills that puzzles help toddlers develop are:
Concentration
I swear a toddler’s attention span is like half a second at best. In a world full of technology and over stimulating things, it’s no wonder kids (or even adults for that matter) can’t focus on a single task at a time! Puzzles are an amazing why to help your toddler develop a stronger ability to focus and concentrate on a specific task.
Shape Recognition
Shapes are an important concept to learn at a young age. It’s easy to overlook the actual importance of shape recognition in the grand scheme of things. Learning to recognize shapes is how you learn the ability to identify things. Think about it, how does your child learn their letters? How does a child look at the letter “A” and know that it’s an A? Well…because the letter A is shaped a certain way. It’s the foundation to a lifetime of growing knowledge.
Fine motor skills
As parents we hear a lot about the importance of fine motor skills and how we need to engage our babies and toddlers in activities that develop fine motor skills. Fine motor skills help are toddler’s gain independence with things such as buttoning their shirts, and eventually learning to write!
Memory
In order to strengthen your child’s memory you’ve got to work those brain muscles! It’s no mystery that a strong memory is an amazing skill to have that benefits you throughout your entire life. Puzzles are an amazing way to help your toddler develop a good memory!
Hand-Eye Coordination
Placing the puzzle pieces together and getting them to fit just right takes hand-eye coordination. You’ll notice when your toddler first starts doing puzzles, and other similar activities, that they struggle with this quite a bit in the beginning. It can be a little frustrating for them at first, but just keep encouraging them to “try again”, and they will be so happy and proud when the get it to fit! Then, you’ll watch in amazement as it gets easier, and easier for them as their Hand-Eye Coordination improves right before your eyes!
Spatial Awareness
This is basically all about being aware of objects in a particular space and your bodies position in relation to those objects. This skill is important for things like knowing how to navigate your surroundings, grammar, mathematics, understanding where things are located (“on” the chair vs. “under” the chair”), having a grasp on personal space, and so on. You’ll notice when your toddler first starts playing with puzzles they will just kind of smash the puzzle pieces together in all different directions trying to make it fit. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it. But as their spatial awareness develops and strengthens, you’ll see them using their brains to think and grab the right pieces, and understanding how to put them together. It’s really cool to watch this skill develop.
Topic specific knowledge and vocabulary
Puzzles are designed in certain shapes or themes. In this article you’ll find some of the best wooden puzzles for toddlers that teach toddlers about: animals, shapes, colors and the alphabet! So for example, while your toddler is putting together a puzzle of dinosaur, your toddler is also learning about that specific topic! They are learning what a dinosaur is, what it looks like, and perhaps even the specific type of dinosaur it is!
Ok, time to dive into the all-time best wooden puzzles for toddlers!
Best Puzzles For Under 2
Ancaixin Shape Sorting Puzzle
This adorable puzzle is one of the best wooden puzzles for toddlers under two!
It’s Montessori inspired design is a great start for your toddler to start learning the skill of sorting. The holes in the box are different sizes, so your little one can work their little brains to figure out which carrot goes in what opening.
- Safe Material: Made of New Zealand natural pine wood with water based paint. Non-toxic, smoothly surface. 100% safe for your baby. NOTICE： Please wipe clean the toy with mild detergent and damp cloth. Do not put it into water as the water may soak into the wood and make the paint peel. Avoid sun exposure.
- Sorting Game: Your baby will need to recognize the size of carrots to put them back to the slot.
- Developmental Benefits: While playing with this wooden toy, your little one is also developing fine motor skill, hand-eye coordination, shape recognition and dexterity.
TXC Montessori Wooden Shape Puzzle
This wooden puzzle makes a great first puzzle for your little one! There is a small variety of shapes and sizes, but not too many to where it would be overwhelming for a toddler under two.
The large wooden knobs make it nice and easy for their clumsy little hands to grasp and maneuver!
- Perfect wooden puzzle for babies. Play with your toddler and develop hand-eye coordination skills.
- This montessori toy helps babies with gripping skills and the colors make it fun and educational.
Toy Life Wooden Animal Puzzle
This super cute Wooden Animal Puzzle is another GREAT starter puzzle for toddlers under two!
With the seven different animal pieces, it’s not TOO easy, but since each animal is in one piece it makes it a great option when they are just one step away from slightly more complex toddler puzzles.
- SAFE LEARNING TOYS WOODEN PUZZLE FOR TODDLER: Designed with the toddler in mind, this wooden puzzle toy is made of high-quality natural wood, which is smooth, rounded, and no splintery edges and finished with bright colors non-toxic paint. It’s very easy and safe for your little one to touch and grasp pieces with smooth edge. Best gift for toddler and 1 2 3 years old boys and girls.
- 8 DIFFERENT SHAPE WITH BRIGHT COLORS: This wooden puzzle comes with 8 different Shape with bright colors, including yellow duck, frog, dog, monkey, lion, giraffe, cow, turtle. Every puzzle is so bright that it is very easy to attract the attention of your little one and very great for cognitive learning.
Best Animal Puzzles For Toddlers
MAGIFIRE Wooden Toddler Puzzle Set
So your little one is ready to move onto the next level of puzzles! This set from Magifire is one of the best wooden puzzles for toddlers!
It comes with six different puzzles that are a bit more complex because they are broken into more pieces. It’s high quality with fun bright colors, and their size makes them travel friendly.
These puzzles will also help your toddler expand their vocabulary learning the words: Ladybug, car, bee, bear, butterfly and turtle!
- Learn Through Play: Our delightful set features 6 captivating creatures – Ladybug, Tortoise, Teddy Bear, Butterfly, Car, and Bee. These eye-catching, colorful wooden puzzles are perfect for educational playtime. Designed to aid concentration, they help wee ones begin their learning journey. Explore the world of puzzles with our specially crafted toddler wooden puzzles. Stimulate young minds, promote problem-solving skills, and enhance cognitive development
- Designed For Enrichment: Crafted specifically for toddlers, these wooden puzzles provide a perfect blend of entertainment and education. As little ones engage in piecing together the puzzles, they embark on a journey of learning, effortlessly identifying colors, distinguishing shapes, and honing their hand-eye coordination skills. These wooden puzzles become valuable tools for cognitive development, problem-solving and promoting essential skills in a joyful and tactile manner
Wooden Animal Sorting and Stacking Puzzle
This Sorting and Stacking puzzle is so cool! Talk about a brain boosting puzzle for toddlers! I would say this would more so be for little ones 3 and up. It’s different than the traditional toddler puzzles which makes it really fun. This will be nothing like their other puzzles!
It comes with 60 different fun design cards, and your toddler can build what’s shown on the card, or come up with their own masterpiece! Add “imagination building” to the list of benefits!
The design cards even double as flash cards to help expand your toddler’s vocabulary. Check it out for yourself!
- Contains 36 wooden shape pieces, 60 pattern cards and 2 iron tins for storing the pieces
- kids can try to build what is shown on the cards or create their own designs
- Great for developing spatial awareness, color & shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills
- Made of natural wood, the blocks are smooth and no sharp edges, meets CPSC safety requirements
Toy Life Wooden Animal Puzzle Set
This is another great set of wooden animal puzzles that would be perfect for any toddler!
This set comes with EIGHT different puzzles. Your toddler will have so much fun learning these new animals while they figure out how to put each puzzle together!
The wood material is nice and sturdy, it’ll last a long time! Hang on to it for future siblings!
- SAFE LEARNING TOYS WOODEN PUZZLE FOR TODDLER: Designed with the toddler in mind, this wooden puzzle toy is made of high-quality natural wood, which is smooth, rounded, and no splintery edges and finished with bright colors non-toxic paint. It’s very easy and safe for your little one to touch and grasp pieces with smooth edge. Best gift for toddler and 1 2 3 years old boys and girls.
- 8 DIFFERENT SHAPE WITH BRIGHT COLORS: This wooden puzzle comes with 8 different Shape with bright colors, including yellow duck, frog, dog, monkey, lion, giraffe, cow, turtle. Every puzzle is so bright that it is very easy to attract the attention of your little one and very great for cognitive learning.
Toy Life Dinosaur Puzzle
Do you have a dinosaur fan on your hands? They’ll love this seven pack of wooden dinosaur puzzles!
The name of the dinosaur is on each puzzle which I love! Just another amazing way to impressively expand your toddler’s vocabulary and knowledge.
To make things even better, it comes with a convenient and cute carrying case!
- THE CUTEST PUZZLES AROUND: This set of 7 dinosaur puzzles is sure to be a hit with your kids. Each puzzle contains 6-7 brightly colored pieces, which come together to form seven unique dinosaur species.
- PERFECT FOR YOUNG KIDS: These puzzle pieces are just the right size for small hands. Each board also features printed outlines of each dinosaur, helping young children along as they put the pieces together.
- SAFE AND NON-TOXIC TOY: Since there’s a good chance of puzzle pieces being put into little mouths, we’ve designed these puzzles with non-toxic watercolors and smooth wood. That way, your child stays safe during playtime – without compromising on fun.
Best Shape Puzzles For Toddlers
Melissa & Doug Shapes Wooden Chunky Puzzle
I gave my two year old this wooden shapes puzzle the other day and she LOVED it. To top things off, she learned 3 new shapes in one night! (She already knew the others, but she learned rectangle, oval and diamond.) It was so cute watching how excited she got about her new found knowledge!
This is definitely one of the best wooden puzzles for toddlers, and as my toddler has shown…it’s a great tool to teach them their shapes!
- 8-piece wooden puzzle featuring bright colors, patterns, and shapes
- Pieces stand up for use as manipulatives or play pieces
- Chunky wooden pieces are easy for little hands to grasp
Shape Sorting Puzzle
This shape sorting puzzle is another great option to add to your toddler’s collection!
It presents a fun twist and a new challenge with the numbered pegs in each shape category. It’s so satisfying to watch their little brains churn while they sort the different shapes and get them to fit correctly on the pegs!
It’s also a good tool to start teaching your toddler counting.
- 【Larger & Safer】This upgraded sorting and stacking toy, designed with larger size geometric shape blocks, is much safer then the most common smaller ones. The toy sized for toddlers is easy for kiddos to grasp and protects baby kids from chocking hazard.
- 【Durable & Child Friendly】HELLOWOOD stack & sort toy, with solid rubber wood base and sturdy pegs, is made to outlast for years. Lead-free water paint, smooth glossed edges, worry free to leave kids with this educational fun toy.
- 【Countless Ways to Play】24 pcs shape blocks come in 6 gradient color schemes, inspire countless hands-on, imaginative ways to play. Sort by shape, color, create various buildings or patterns, learn words etc., toddlers can explore even more games to play.
Best Alphabet Puzzles For Toddlers
Chunky Wooden Alphabet Puzzle
This Chunky Alphabet Puzzle is for sure one of the best wooden puzzles for toddlers that teaches them the letters of the alphabet! I especially love this one because each letter space also has a picture and word on it that starts with the applicable letter.
The letter pieces stand up on their own which also makes for a really fun spelling activity! Definitely add this one to your list.
- Cute Letters, Decent Puzzle: 26 pieces wood ABC upper case blocks board, with bright colors and sweet illustrations of familiar objects, provide a terrific way to learn ABCs. Comes in gift box, size: 12.2x12x1inch, weigh 24.2oz.
- High-Quality Kit: All pieces are well-made that are thick enough that easily stand up. They can stand upright on a table, smooth and well painted, lightweight and sturdy. And the slots for the pieces are deep enough for them to slide in;
- Children’s Favorite Gift: Play with these to help identify letters or just organizing them as a puzzle. Easy to manipulate, a joy to hear your young kids sounding forth his learning up to Z!
Alphabet, Numbers and Shapes Puzzle
This 3-Pack of Puzzles is a great option if you want to kill two birds with one stone. Well really, it’s three birds. This is a super nice wooden puzzle set that comes with 3 puzzle options that teach your toddler about the alphabet, numbers AND shapes.
I also personally like the color scheme of this puzzle set for a change of pace!
- 【SAFE AND DURABLE MATERIALS】Children’s wooden puzzles, made of natural wood, non-toxic and environmentally friendly paint. Smooth surface, rounded corners design.Toddlers’ safe always come first.
- 【3-in-1 WOODEN PUZZLE SET】 Including one letter puzzle, one number puzzle and one shape puzzle. Comes in an attractive box. The stand-alone alphabets, numbers and shapes allow children to practice their ABC spelling, number counting and shape recognition, and form simple words and numbers. Great learning toys for 3 4 5 years old.
- 【PRESCHOOL EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT】 As a educational tools, wooden learning puzzle helps children develop eye and hand coordination, fine motor skills, creativity, imagination, curiosity and discovery skills. Develop problem-solving skills and learn to think logically.
Best Color Puzzles For Toddlers
Color Sorting Clock Puzzle
I love this Color Sorting Clock Puzzle! Your little one may not be quite ready to tell time yet, but it’s a great start to learning numbers and counting, while also learning colors!
Then, as your toddler gets older, it will be an amazing tool to teach them to tell time!
- Geometry Learning Clock: comes with 12 removable blocks, and 12 shaped number pieces, natural wood material, smooth edge and child-safe paints. The slots for the pieces are deep enough to slide in. Gift box makes an excellent storage container, Diameter: 8.43”, weight:13.7oz
- Significant Educational Toys: not stiff arrows, the minute hand move incrementally as the hour hand goes clockwise. The numbers printed only on one side and sectioned by hue and that the inner circle has even more potential for learning in the years to come
Color Sorting Bee Hive Puzzle
This Color Sorting Beehive Puzzle is such a fun twist on the traditional puzzle!
The wooden bees are so adorable and your toddler can place then in the correct hive based on color using their hands OR really step up their fine motor skills and use the tweezers!
This is truly a must have for your toddler’s wooden puzzle collection! It also makes a great gift for the other little ones in your life!
- PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROP: The toy set include a beehive,7 bees, a tweezer and one storage box. the colorful colors and cute little bees design attract your children to play, easily to use and placed with and the package was received in a timely manner
- HAND-EYE COORDINATION: Each bee corresponds to a hive, children can use tweezers easy grab the bee wings by their way make the same color bees returned to the same hive. well-rounded developmental practice through motor skills, encourage child’s sensory stimulation
- COLOR SORTING AND COUNTING : Matching activities learn the colors and do some counting with the bees, teaching color recognition and basic mathematics concepts to toddlers. stimulate your kid’s mind and helps them develop his language skills