Jigsaw Puzzles

What it is

Jigsaw Puzzles puts twelve cheerful pictures, a bear in the park, a frog at the beach, a bunny in space, back together piece by piece. Pick a picture and a size: 4 big pieces for a two-year-old, then 6, 9, 16 and finally 24 real jigsaw pieces with tabs for older children. Pieces lie loose on a wooden table; drag one close to its spot and it clicks in with a little note. A faint copy of the picture on the board shows where things go, and can be switched off with the eye button. Finish, and the picture comes alive: the friend breathes and hops, and the sun, clouds and toys react when tapped. There is no timer and no way to lose.

How to play

• On a laptop or desktop: Pick a picture and a size, then drag pieces with the mouse. Close to the right spot, a piece clicks in. The eye button shows or hides the guide picture; the grid button goes back to the pictures.
• On a tablet or phone: Tap a picture, then drag pieces with a finger. On the small puzzles a piece only needs to be dropped roughly in its spot. Tap the finished picture to make things move.

What children learn

• Spatial reasoning: turning a picture into parts and back again
• Visual matching of colours, edges and shapes
• Fine motor control: picking up, dragging and placing precisely
• Persistence: a bigger puzzle is many small wins in a row

Tips for parents

Start with 4 pieces and the guide picture on, even for a child who seems ready for more: finishing is the fun part. Talk about what each piece shows ("this one has the sun, where is the sky?"). Edges first is a strategy older children can try with 16 or 24 pieces. Once a size feels easy, try the same picture with the guide off before moving up.

Questions parents ask

What age is it for?

From about 2 with the 4-piece puzzles, where a piece clicks in even when dropped only roughly in its spot. 9 pieces suit most 3 and 4 year olds; 16 and 24 pieces, with real jigsaw tabs and more precise placing, suit 5 and 6 year olds.

Can my child get stuck?

Not really. There is no timer and nothing to lose: a piece put down in the wrong spot on the board shakes its head and slides back, and one put down on the table just stays there. After a quiet moment one of the loose pieces gives a little wiggle as a nudge.

Does it remember finished puzzles?

Yes. Finished pictures get a green tick on the picture menu, saved on your own device along with the chosen size and whether the guide picture is on. Nothing is sent anywhere.

More games for ages 2 to 6

Shape Sorter2 – 4 yearsMemory Match2 – 10 yearsDress-Up Party2 – 5 years