Why these puzzles
At five, turning a piece in your head before you move it is within reach. Beginner levels keep pieces the right way round, so the first wins come quickly.
Tips
- Start on Beginner, even if it looks easy.
- Ask them to say which way a piece needs to turn.
- Praise trying a new idea, not just finishing.
The puzzles, starting on Beginner
- Colour Sort (ages 3+): Put every wooden ball in the bowl of its colour. Builds attention to detail and logical reasoning.
- Counting Pegs (ages 3+): Put the right number of pegs in each row of the pegboard. Builds number sense and persistence.
- Memory Pairs (ages 3+): Turn the tiles two at a time and find every matching pair. Builds working memory and attention to detail.
- Pattern Blocks (ages 3+): Fill the picture with yellow hexagons, red trapezoids, blue diamonds and green triangles. Builds shapes and geometry and spatial reasoning.
- Picture Jigsaw (ages 3+): A painted picture in a few big pieces. Put each one where it goes. Builds spatial reasoning and attention to detail.
- Shape Sorter (ages 3+): Post every wooden shape through its own hole in the box. Builds shapes and geometry and attention to detail.
- Stacking Rings (ages 3+): Stack the wooden rings on their pegs, in the order the card shows. Builds logical reasoning and planning ahead.
- Little Maze (ages 4+): Roll the bead along the grooves and get it home. Builds planning ahead and spatial reasoning.
- Odd One Out (ages 4+): One of these doesn’t belong. Can you spot it? Builds logical reasoning and attention to detail.
- Shape Match (ages 4+): Fit the tiles together: every arrow, heart and key finds its matching hole. Builds shapes and geometry and spatial reasoning.
- What Comes Next (ages 4+): Red, blue, red, blue… finish the bead pattern. Builds pattern recognition and number sense.
- Block House (ages 5+): Fill the wooden house with blocks. At the top levels they come in order. Builds spatial reasoning and planning ahead.
- Hexwood (ages 5+): Fill the hexagon tray. Pieces only snap when they truly fit. Builds spatial reasoning and shapes and geometry.
- Hidden Blocks (ages 5+): Copy the picture on the card by turning and arranging the blocks. Builds spatial reasoning and pattern recognition.
- Rectangle Tray (ages 5+): Fit every wooden piece into the rectangle, with none left over. Builds spatial reasoning and shapes and geometry.
- Tangram (ages 5+): Seven wooden shapes, one picture. Turn and flip them to fill it. Builds spatial reasoning and shapes and geometry.
Questions parents ask
What should a 5 year old play first?
Tangram and Hexwood on Beginner are good first real puzzles, with Pattern Blocks and Picture Jigsaw as gentler options.
Are these puzzles free?
Every puzzle is free to try in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads.
More
Puzzles for 3 Year Olds · Puzzles for 4 Year Olds · Puzzles for Kindergarten · Logic Puzzles for Homeschool · Puzzles for the Classroom · Quiet Puzzles for Kids on a Plane or Long Trip · Challenging Puzzles for Gifted Kids
