I can’t think of anybody who doesn’t like a good puzzle. From a riddle all the way up to those escape room life-sized “puzzles,” we’re wired to try to figure things out! January 29th is National Puzzle Day and here’s some ways to celebrate with unique puzzle games for kids!
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Celebrate Puzzle Day with Unique Puzzle Games
Exercise the brain with pattern-making
Young children will enjoy the open ended Fish Parquet Puzzle from HABA USA. Brilliant colored fish-shaped pieces are perfect for little hands. And as long as children find interlocking connections, this puzzle can be put together in a variety of ways. Match the colors, create and repeat patterns, or make designs and shapes. Perfect for ages 3+ to encourage creativity and sticking to a task. I love to use this puzzle with the boys while I read aloud!
Find at HABA USA or on Amazon.
Encourage creative problem solving
The Tetris Puzzle from Sain Smart Jr. encourages creative problem solving. Much like the popular video game of my childhood (but not as fast!), this puzzle offers a chance for kids to use fine-motor skills and spatial reasoning to fit all the pieces back into the puzzle. There are several ways to use the tangram-style pieces to complete the puzzle, making it another open-ended choice for kids.
The Tetris Puzzle Box is a smaller game also called a Soma Cube (a dissection cube) that develops a child’s intelligence as they have to use spatial reasoning to complete this 3D puzzle. Hand-eye coordination comes into play here! Plus it comes with a carry bag to keep all seven colorful pieces together!
Find at Sain Smart Jr. or on Amazon (in the links above)
Develop Concentration with 2D and 3D puzzles
This next set of puzzle will really test your ability to concentrate! SmartGamesUSA has an IQ series that develops a range of cognitive skills. IQ-Puzzler Pro comes in a portable case for play at home or on the go. You can play multiple levels of either 2D or 3D challenges. Multiple grids on the top and bottom of the board create 120 different challenges for puzzle pros! Kids will have to concentrate to find a solution, all while using logic and spatial reasoning skills.
Love your brain with the IQ XOXO puzzle. Fill the grid with the brightly colored, double-sided pentomino pieces. Be sure to keep the X’s and O’s in the right sequence! This game also has 120 challenges and is great for the 6 and up crowd! Plus, this ones’ perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift for the kids!
Find at SmartGamesUSA and on Amazon (links above).
Challenge yourself to a puzzle in the round!
I was completely taken with these round puzzlers. Perplexus offers four levels of obstacle course puzzles in a clear spherical game ball. The orbital track is filled with 100 turns and twists that make the game hard to put down. Kids can develop concentration, as they use eye-hand coordination to send the little ball along the tracks, spirals, and tightropes. If you need to take a break, a handy stand lets you set the puzzle down with the ball in place. I still haven’t gotten past challenge thirty, but I’m trying! The Perplexus Original is great for ages 8+ and the Perplexus Rookie version for ages 6+. There’s even a Star Wars Death Star version, and a mini version!
Find at Perplexus or Amazon (link above).
Test your dexterity with a puzzle in motion
Syclone is a puzzle you can play standing up! First you set a spinning top in motion, then you attempt to direct it through a maze filled with ramps, jumps and sinkholes – all before the top stops spinning! A wonderful dexterity maze that requires nimble hands and minds. The board is double sided, so there are two 3D mazes: the Stratus and the Seismic. This puzzle comes with a storage bag so pieces stay together. Ideal for ages 8+.
Find Scylone at Mindware and on Amazon.
Each of these puzzle choices offers a different way for kids to develop their brains. Puzzles are wonderful quiet fun, keeping kids engaged and away from the screens. I love how puzzles can be played solo or with friends too!
Which of these amazing and unique puzzle games would you love to try your hand at?
Shop for these puzzles and more here!
HABA Fish Parquet – 48 Piece Double Sided Rainbow Fish Patterning Puzzle for Ages 3 and UpSainSmart Jr. Wooden Tetris Puzzle 40 Pcs Brain Teasers Toy for Kids, Wood Puzzle Box Brain Games Wood Burr Tangram Jigsaw Toy Children DaysSainSmart Jr. Soma Cube Wood Tetris Puzzle Box Cube Stacking Blocks Games with 7 Colorful Bricks, 3 3 Cube Buliding Sets with A Carry BagSmartGames IQ Puzzler ProSmartGames IQ XOXOPerplexus Original – Interactive Maze Game with 100 ChallengesPerplexus Star Wars Death StarPerplexus Original Miniature Edition – Pocket Sized Miniature Perplexus Maze Puzzle that Really Works!Syclone Game
Win a prize pack of puzzles!
One lucky reader will win a prize pack of puzzles! (ARV $80) including:
- HABA Fish Parquet Puzzle
- Syclone Maze Puzzle
- 2 IQ Puzzles from SmartGamesUSA
- 2 Tetris-style wood puzzles from SainSmart Jr.
For a chance to win, enter in the form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post was sponsored by the brands above and I received products and compensation for creating this content. All opinions are my own.
Amanda Alvarado
Saturday 3rd of February 2018
These looks like fun! I think I'd even play some of them!
Trisha W.
Tuesday 30th of January 2018
My family enjoys puzzles like those. Have you seen the game Kanoodle? I may have seen it in your post but it's late at night and I'm looking on my tiny phone.