Guide on Choosing Toddler Puzzles
Thinking of buying toddler puzzles ?
Good !! These toys are one of the best child educational toy you can give to your tots for a considerably low price.
But before you head yourself to a toy store, I'd like to arm you with knowledge on how to choose ideal toddler jigsaw puzzles, so that you only buy the right product.
Basically, there are 3 things to consider prior to buying a toddler puzzle:
- easiness of matching.
- number of pieces.
- durability and ease of handle
So how do these things translate when it comes to choosing a toddler jigsaw puzzle ? What features you should look for ?
Here are the list of what you should look for when shopping for toddler puzzles
- The beginner jigsaw puzzles should have big pieces.
- The beginner toddler puzzles should have pictures on the board which correspond to the pictures at the jigsaw puzzle pieces. The toddler puzzles hence should preferably have one complete picture per piece.Why ?Start by asking question on what a toddler can match. For a toddler, picture matching is easier than shape and size matching since shape and size are difficult concepts for toddlers to grasp. A toddler may not be able to complete a puzzle just by matching shape and size of the pieces to the board. However, picture matching is easier, and toddlers can certainly do that.
- Wooden jigsaw puzzles are the best since they are very durable and will withstand everyday onslaught by your toddler.
- Try to get a wooden jigsaw puzzle with a or peg on each piece for ease of handling. These jigsaw puzzles are usually called peg puzzles or knob puzzles. For a very young toddler, jumbo knob puzzle is the best. The maker of these jumbo knob puzzles is Melissa and Doug.
You may also want to consider buying a toddler puzzle which comes with different textures embedded to the piece. This will of course add more value to the the puzzle since now it can also be used for tactile stimulation. However, these wooden jigsaw puzzles do not come with knobs, so you may want to reserve these for an older toddler.
Please beware though. Some toddler puzzles are made from foam. I find that this type of puzzle is not suitable for very young toddlers (1 year) since these jigsaw puzzles do not have pegs and it's a bit hard to pull the pieces of the puzzle out of the board. In addition, it may also be difficult for a toddler to put the pieces back into the hole since a toddler has to make an effort to fit the pieces back to the hole. In contrast, it is very easy to put the pieces of wooden jigsaw puzzles back into the hole.
Having said that, since a foam jigsaw puzzle is quite strong, it is suitable for 2+ years old children. Also, a 2+ years old toddler has already developed fine motor skills necessary to pull the pieces out and to put those back in to the foam board.
Finally, for additional matching activities, you may also want to consider buying cube wooden puzzle for your toddler.
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More on jigsaw puzzle:
Child jigsaw puzzle - simple toy with a lot of benefits.
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Choosing wooden puzzles and other type of jigsaw puzzles for preschoolers.
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Other kind of wooden puzzles: cube wooden puzzle .
This article shows you how to buy wooden cube puzzles.
Tips and advice for storing jigsaw puzzle
Contains tips and advice for storing wooden puzzle (including knob and peg puzzle) and cardboard jigsaw puzzle.
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