Good puzzles once they've mastered peg puzzles?

[etwahl]

Lauren just got interested in peg puzzles again but they seem too easy for her now. I was wondering what the next step is from here in terms of puzzles? She's bored with shape sorters too (of course!)

Otherwise, any recommendations for other good "problem solving" games or toys?

Tammy,
mom to Lauren (March 2003)

[Roleysmom]

Tammy, I love Lauri puzzles. Roley never used the peg puzzles we had, but she got her first Lauri puzzle when she was about Lauren's age and loved it right away. They are made of a nice crepey material and they have a pattern inside the tray so beginners can follow that to put the pieces together. The multi-piece puzzles say ages three and up but you can get simple ones with fewer and bigger pieces. Roley's first one was of a train and she took to it right away. Here's a site that shows the different puzzles. http://www.learningforallages.com/Overview.htm (The fish puzzle is the type I'm describing.)

Lauri doesn't have a website where you can see the products, but this site has the phone number to order a catalogue. http://www.lauritoys.com. You can find Lauri stuff at smaller toy stores. We also have the pegs and shapes and the activity pack which includes lacing forms and geometric shapes that can be put together to build things. (She just got that though, and I'm not sure she would have been up for it a year ago.) The pegs and shapes will probably be a hit at Lauren's age.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[lfp2n]

We have the Lauri toolkit puzzle and Olivia is really into it. I think I might go for a slightly harder one now I saw the website you posted. The tool one is great as she knows what they are for and we act out the actions. Like Lauren she's getting a little bored of peg puzzles and shapes, even the Melissa and Doug animal one with the sounds, or the hidden animals didn't capture her attention.

HIH

Lucy and DD 3/03

[Momof3Labs]

Colin moved onto floor puzzles and 24 piece wooden puzzles after he mastered peg puzzles. Melissa and Doug make a bunch of good ones! Haven't heard of Lauri puzzles, but will definitely check into those!!

[August Mom]

We love the Lauri puzzles here too. Honestly, we started with one of the travel tote ones where individual pieces fit in individual holes, but DS quickly advanced to the other type.

Wooden in-laid puzzles are another option. These are puzzles where the pieces fit together to form a larger picture, but they are not jigsaw pieces. Here's an example: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/trains-4-tots/scbuswopubys.html

DS also enjoys jigsaw puzzles. I highly recommend the Melissa & Dough Jigsaws in a Box for beginning jigsaw puzzles. Also, if you go for another type of jigsaw puzzle, I would recommend one with a border. DS can do 20 and 25 piece jigsaw puzzles if there's a border. It helps in color matching. http://www.allaboardtoys.com/Thomas_The_Tank_Engine_Train_and_Friends/Puzzles__Games/Hooray_for_Thomas_Puzzle.asp

[macassi]

I love ravensburger puzzles. They are a very heavy cardboard and are the more advanced ones are framed with a "picture inside" where you see what happens inside the puzzle pieces. So, if the puzzles was of an airplane, the pieces would be the outside of the plane and the inside would show seats, etc.

For beyone peg but pre 20 piece puzzles, my kids loved puzzles that ravensburger makes that are 20 pieces (trucks, sea animals, farm tools and animals) that go into individual slots. You don't have to piece the pieces together but they are harder than a peg puzzle.

You can probably do a google search for them. I bought the puzzles at a good children's toy store. My educational resource store also sells some. My first was a gift from a neighbor. Her 4 kids used it and both my boys used it and Abbie will still be able to use it -- although it is showing some wear. I think that attests to the quality of the cardboard pieces!