Counting Pegs
Put the right number of pegs in each row of the pegboard.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Skill · 31 puzzles · ages 3+
Puzzles That Build Persistence in Kids
Persistence is staying with a hard problem, learning from mistakes and trying a new approach instead of giving up. Every puzzle here has five levels, so there is always a next challenge just within reach.
Why it matters
Children who learn that being stuck is normal, and that effort and new strategies pay off, carry that into schoolwork and beyond.
How to help
- Praise the trying and the changed strategy, not just the win.
- Use hints that ask a question rather than show the answer.
- Stop on a success, even a small one, so they want to come back.
In the curriculum
Persevere in solving problems (Common Core MP1; MOE Metacognition; NEL Learning dispositions).
31 puzzles that build persistence, by age
Memory Pairs
Turn the tiles two at a time and find every matching pair.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Pattern Blocks
Fill the picture with yellow hexagons, red trapezoids, blue diamonds and green triangles.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Picture Jigsaw
A painted picture in a few big pieces. Put each one where it goes.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Little Maze
Roll the bead along the grooves and get it home.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Shape Match
Fit the tiles together: every arrow, heart and key finds its matching hole.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Block House
Fill the wooden house with blocks. At the top levels they come in order.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Hidden Blocks
Copy the picture on the card by turning and arranging the blocks.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Rectangle Tray
Fit every wooden piece into the rectangle, with none left over.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Blank Jigsaw
A jigsaw with no picture. Only the shapes tell you where pieces go.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Hakoiri Musume
Japan’s classic sliding-block puzzle: slide the big block out of the box.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Lucky Coins
Fit every bitten clover coin into the round tray.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Number Slide
Slide the wooden tiles until the numbers are back in order.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Puzzle Box
A Japanese secret box. Slide the hidden panels in the right order to open it.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Road Slide
Slide the road tiles until the arrows join into one road.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Square Tray
Fit every wooden piece into the square, with none left over.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Triangle Tray
Fit every wooden piece into the triangle, with none left over.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Diamond Tray
Fit every wooden piece into the diamond, with none left over.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Eight Logs
Fit every log in the box. Two half-cut ends can share one spot.
How it helps Try, undo and try again until it clicks.
Luban Lock
Take the wooden lock apart. Only one piece can move at a time.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Number Frame
Fit the frame pieces and number tiles so 1 to 9 read in order.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Parallelogram Tray
Fit every wooden piece into the parallelogram, with none left over.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Pattern Boards
A carved board with a hole. Find where every patterned piece fits.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Peg Solitaire
Jump pegs over each other until only one is left.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Six Bottles
Fill every bottle. All the pieces come from one pile.
How it helps Try, check and change your mind.
Questions parents ask
What is persistence?
Staying with a hard problem, learning from mistakes, and changing approach instead of giving up.
Which puzzles build persistence?
31 AmuseMind puzzles build it, from ages 3+: Counting Pegs, Memory Pairs, Pattern Blocks, Picture Jigsaw, Little Maze, Shape Match and more.
Are these puzzles free?
Every puzzle is free to try in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads.