Puzzles for 3 yo

[christiedavid3]

DS is starting to get into puzzles, but they're certainly not his strength. He is getting better every day though. Should I start with a 24 piece puzzle for him? Right now he's doing 6-10 piece jigsaw puzzles. He also does some wooden puzzles, not the peg type. I want to challenge him, but not frustrate him.

I'm looking for opinions. What brands? Floor puzzles or smaller? Wooden or cardboard?

[vonfirmath]

I started my son with the 4-pk of M&Ds 12-pc puzzles and a 24-pc floor puzzle. (The floor puzzle is excellent for seeing the colors and how a normal jigsaw goes together)

He still does better with wooden puzzles than cardboard (though if I can get sufficiently cheap cardboard puzzles, like the Puzzle Patch ones you can get for $1 or 2, I get them just for more variety. But they tear and the "fixed" piece does not fit in the puzzle as well as it originally did)

[Canna]

My 2.5 year-old really likes the eeboo Puzzles in a Box sets. They have 2 different sets that come with 4 25-piece puzzles. The pieces have a nice smooth feel, and I think they are a little easier than floor puzzles because it's easier to see the whole set of pieces at one time to find the piece you're looking for. Ravensburger also makes nice 35 piece puzzles.

http://www.eeboo.com/startpage.php?cat=19

(The eeboo sets of 6 9-piece puzzles is absolutely terrific for the earliets jigsaw puzzle workers, too!)

[jgenie]

DS1 really likes the 4 pack M&D puzzles like these (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Dinosaur-Puzzles/dp/B000REP3CO/ref=sr_1_36?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1289439815&sr=1-36).

[vonfirmath]

DS1 really likes the 4 pack M&D puzzles like these (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Dinosaur-Puzzles/dp/B000REP3CO/ref=sr_1_36?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1289439815&sr=1-36).

This is the M&D 4-pk 12-pc puzzles I referred to above. they are wood and you will end up separating the pieces into the different puzzles at first. But its a good start.