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13 Best Wooden Puzzles (2022 Reviews)

Toys don’t need to be powered by a battery or USB cable in order to be fun. Wooden puzzles are a timeless classic enjoyed by kids of all ages. More than simply fun for a rainy day, wooden jigsaw puzzles help kids learn language, math, geography and many other important skills.

Puzzles are available in a wide range of styles and difficulty levels. You can find simple puzzles for younger kids as well as larger, more complex puzzles the whole family can work on together. Searching for wooden puzzles for kids? You’ve come to the right place. Our guide to wooden puzzles in 2022 starts right now.

Top 13 Best Wooden Puzzles in 2022

1. Fat Brain Toys Personalized Name Puzzle

One of the first words a child learns to recognize and spell is their own name. This Personalized Name Puzzle from Fat Brain Toys can be customized for practically any name. Each letter of the name is a puzzle piece which fits into the custom-created wooden jigsaw puzzle board.

Up to nine characters, including spaces, can be used to make any name you like. Note that the background of the board will vary based on the length of the name. This puzzle board is great for younger kids who are just beginning to read.

2. SainSmart Jr Wooden Tetris Puzzle

The SainSmart Jr Wooden Tetris Puzzle is inspired by the classic video game Tetris. The goal is to fill the empty puzzle board with a perfect fit using all 40 pieces. There are many ways to win, but the game is still challenging enough that most kids are unlikely to solve it every attempt.

The blocks are made from natural maple. They’re solid but lightweight. Blocks are painted in five different colors with non-toxic paint. Designed for kids ages two and up but can certainly be fun for all ages.

3. Melissa & Doug Space Voyage Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

This detailed illustration depicts a space shuttle rocketing past the moon and towards the solar system. Great for budding astronauts and space enthusiasts. Each of the 48 pieces are made from thin but solid wood. When assembled, the finished puzzle is about the size of a cafeteria tray.

The Space Voyage Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle set introduces a variety of celestial bodies including the sun, moon, the Earth and Jupiter. Designed for kids between the ages of four and six, the puzzle helps develop both hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.

4. Johouse Wooden Alphabet Jigsaw Puzzle

The Johouse Wooden Alphabet Jigsaw puzzle pack contains two puzzles: a winding snake and a walking elephant. Both puzzles are made from large, colorful wooden blocks. Unlike many other puzzles, there’s no puzzle board. Instead, the pieces form the entire animal.

Both puzzles have 26 reversible pieces. On one side of each piece are the letters A through Z, while the numbers one through 26 are on the opposite side. When the puzzle is completed, both numbers and letters will appear in the correct order (for example, A is the snake’s head and Z is on his tail).

5. PAW Patrol 7 Wooden Puzzles with Wooden Storage Box

Join Ryder, Marshall, Rubble and the rest of the Paw Patrol! This PAW Patrol puzzle pack includes one 24 piece puzzle, three 16 piece puzzles and three 12 piece puzzles. All wooden puzzles made from high-quality wood. The included storage box holds every puzzle piece, organized by puzzle type.

Kids ages four and up will love these Paw Patrol puzzles, which features various scenes from the TV show. Plus, the puzzle pack is a great deal. All seven wooden puzzles together cost as much as many other single wooden puzzles.

6. Gybber & Mumu Wooden Preschool Shape Puzzle

The Gybber & Mumu Wooden Shape Puzzle helps kids three and up learn basic concepts while developing hand-eye coordination. Each of the wooden pieces is a different familiar shape like a star, plus sign or square. Designed to teach preschoolers about shapes, colors and numbers (each piece is numbered).

The pieces are large, solid wood which don’t pose a choking hazard for children over the age of three. All nine pieces are painted with a non-toxic water-based paint which contains no solvents. The puzzle is durable enough for not-so-careful toddler play.

7. Begin Again Counting Chameleon Wooden Numbers Puzzle

This is one chameleon you can count on. The Counting Chameleon Wooden Numbers puzzle has 15 colorful wooden pieces. One side of each piece has a numeral while the opposite sign has the word for that number in both English and Spanish.

All Begin Again toys are non-toxic and safe for kids. The wood is harvested from rubber trees with minimal environmental impact. Suitable for kids ages two and up, the complete puzzles is 11.75 by 8.5 inches.

8. Melissa & Doug’s Disney Wooden Peg Puzzles

The Melissa & Doug Disney puzzle set contains three detailed Disney puzzles which each focus on a different subject. Featuring familiar Mickey Mouse clubhouse font and graphics, these wooden puzzles help kids learn numbers, letters and shapes. Each eight-piece puzzle has a total size of 11.75 inches by 8.5 inches.

Each cutout features a Disney character connected to the puzzle piece. For instance, the “P” puzzle piece in the alphabet puzzle fits into a cutout which displays Peter Pan. Kids can use their knowledge of Disney characters to help them learn the alphabet.

9. 3D Wooden Brain Teaser Puzzle by Sharp Brain Zone

This puzzle board from Professor Poplar helps kids learn the names of each letter as well their proper place in the alphabet. The puzzle board has cutouts for each of the 26 letters. Kids can use their sense of sight and touch to assemble the puzzle even if they don’t know the alphabet (yet). Color outlines on the puzzle and each letter also add a helping hand.

Aside from helping kids learn the alphabet, the puzzle also helps develop fine motor skills and shape orientation. Each letter is up to two inches wide, making the puzzle pieces easy for little hands to hold. The puzzle board is 11.75 inches long and nine inches wide.

10. HABA Wooden Puzzle My Time of Year

The HABA My Time of Year Wooden Puzzle stacks four puzzles, spring, summer, fall, and winter, on one 7.5 x 7.5-inch board. The lowest level, winter, has four pieces. The next level up is fall with five pieces. Spring has six sections, and the top layer, summer, has seven parts.

This wooden puzzle is designed for little fingers aged three and up. It develops finger strength and dexterity, as well as image and shape placement. Each of the puzzles has a different color edging to help your child sort the pieces correctly.

Because it is a stacking design, if a piece is lost or damaged from one of the lower puzzles, the subsequent sections will not fit correctly into the board.

11. Oaktown Supply Dinosaur 3D Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

What child won’t love this Dinosaur 3D Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle from Oaktown Supply? It has colorful dinosaur pieces made from polished natural wood and painted brightly with non-toxic paint that interlock with each other.

Puzzles, such as this one, help the development of hand-eye coordination. They also encourage shape recognition and problem-solving in young children. The dinosaur pieces in this wooden puzzle can be used separately in imaginative play as well. The dinosaur outlines with their names help your child assemble each section correctly and give them a taste of scientific discovery. The Oaktown Supply Dinosaur 3D Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle is not intended for children under the age of three.

12. Colorful Owl Hartmaze Puzzle

Each of the 209 pieces of the Colorful Owl Hartmaze puzzle has been laser-cut from 5 mm high quality basswood into a unique shape. The finished puzzle measures 11.4 x 10.2 inches. After it is assembled, you can glue it together for a beautiful decorative accent.

The pieces are irregularly cut, adding to the wooden puzzle assembly challenge. A small picture is included to help you envision the design. Hartmaze offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on their Colorful Owl Puzzle.

If you are used to assembling cardboard puzzles, you may not like the overall looseness of the wooden puzzle assembly. There have also been complaints by some consumers about missing pieces. Hartmaze has stated that in the event of a missing piece, they will provide the part if a picture is taken so that it can be identified.

13. Professor Poplar’s Wooden Alphabet Puzzle Board by Imagination Generation

This puzzle board from Professor Poplar helps kids learn the names of each letter as well their proper place in the alphabet. The puzzle board has cutouts for each of the 26 letters. Kids can use their sense of sight and touch to assemble the puzzle even if they don’t know the alphabet (yet). Color outlines on the puzzle and each letter also add a helping hand.

Aside from helping kids learn the alphabet, the puzzle also helps develop fine motor skills and shape orientation. Each letter is up to two inches wide, making the puzzle pieces easy for little hands to hold. The puzzle board is 11.75 inches long and nine inches wide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Puzzles can vary wildly regarding their difficulty and design. When shopping for a child, you can’t simply buy the first puzzle you find. Instead, you want to find a puzzle which is appropriate for their age, interests and ability. Here are the answers to the most common questions about wood jigsaw puzzles for kids:

How Do I Know if a Puzzle is Age Appropriate?

Age appropriateness is the first criteria you want to consider when shopping for a puzzle. Most wood jigsaw puzzles will print an age range right on the box. You especially want to pay attention to the youngest age listed.

According to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, wood jigsaw puzzles are generally very safe. The biggest potential risk for a young child is accidentally swallowing a puzzle piece. Puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers should have puzzle pieces which are too large to fit inside a child’s mouth.

Plus, puzzles for younger children will generally be simpler to solve. Each piece will fit into an individual outline. Often, colors on the piece will match up with colors on the board, to provide extra help for little ones.

Starting near the end of elementary school and into middle school, kids often show an interest in more advanced puzzles. These are puzzles with 50, 100 or over 1,000 pieces. Instead of specific outlines for each piece, pieces connect to one another to create a detailed picture.

However, most of these larger puzzles will be made from strong cardboard instead of wooden. Most wood jigsaw puzzles for kids are designed for toddlers and preschoolers. Assembling the puzzles is used as a way to teach concepts and skills.

What Do Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Teach?

Most wood jigsaw puzzles are designed to teach basic concepts like identifying shapes, letters and numbers. Slightly more advanced puzzles for older kids will teach more advanced concepts like reading and math.

Puzzles also help teach geography. Some geography puzzles show the relationship between locations. For instance, you can find many puzzles where each piece is a different state, so the completed puzzle is the entire country. Also, puzzles which display an exotic location helps kids think about the world.

All wooden jigsaw puzzles help develop fine motor skills. Manipulating the puzzle pieces improves control over the muscles in the fingers and hands. This helps kids learn how to use other small objects like writing instruments and toothbrushes.

What are the Benefits of Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles?

Wood jigsaw puzzles have quite a few advantages over puzzles made from cardboard. Wood puzzle pieces are incredibly durable. Remember, most wood jigsaw  puzzles for kids are designed to be assembled and disassembled often. Cardboard can bend and tear over time, but wood jigsaw pieces keep their shape even with frequent use.

Plus, wood jigsaw puzzles require no electricity or batteries. Refreshingly low-tech, wood jigsaw puzzles can be used on practically any table or flat surface. They’re a great choice for family fun at the campsite, beach or other vacation destination.

How Do I Find the Best Wooden Puzzle?

Fortunately, there are plenty of choice available. First, select a puzzle which is appropriate and safe for the age of the child. Then determine what particular lessons you want the puzzle to teach. Does the child need any help in a particular subject? The right puzzle can be an effective and unique teaching tool which isn’t always available in the classroom.

Finally, what interests does the child have? Older kids often respond well to a puzzle with characters from a favorite TV show or movie. For instance, Disney characters are often a favorite.

Final Thoughts

Wooden jigsaw puzzles are durable, educational and tons of fun for both younger and older kids. Regular puzzle play helps older kids learn reading, writing and other skills which will help them excel in school. Younger kids develop fine motor skills while learning about shapes and other basic concepts. It’s easy to see why these classic toys continue to remain a favorite.