Jigsaw puzzles are not only a fun way to pass the time they also have a wide range of developmental benefits for children. There have been copious amounts of research done into the advantages of engaging in puzzle play and in this blog post, we take you through some of the amazing ways that jigsaw puzzles aid childhood development. We will also recommend some of our favourite jigsaws that your children will love and that are designed to enable your child to grow and develop crucial skills.

1. Concentration

Completing jigsaw puzzles is a great way to encourage your child to focus and concentrate on one a task for a sustained period of time. Concentration is critically important for youngsters as it enables them to improve and learn which in turn allows them to gain self-confidence and positive self-esteem. School, for example, demands that students concentrate for long stretches of time and in order to prepare your little ones for this they need to learn strategies and engage in practices that promote active concentration.

As completing a puzzle is an enjoyable and rewarding activity it presents the perfect opportunity to for your little one to practice focusing on a specific task. Young children can usually concentrate for somewhere between 5 and 20 minutes and our Djeco Wooden Puzzles are the perfect size for them. This charming wooden lift-out jigsaw puzzle is beautifully illustrated and the 16 pieces all fit into the wooden frame that it is presented in. Perfect for keeping young minds occupied and encouraging your little ones to learn and progress their jigsaw skills.

Older children can sustain a longer period of time on one specific task so we would recommend a jigsaw puzzle over 1000 pieces. We stock some beautifully detailed puzzles including this Mystic Tigers Jigsaw Puzzle from Clementoni. This puzzle features a majestic tiger family surrounded by exotic animals and plants that are all watched over by a Buddha statue. Full of dazzling and enchanting details, kids and adults alike will love piecing this puzzle together to uncover the captivating image.

2. Problem Solving

Puzzles are a fantastic way to enable your child to encounter a problem and successfully combat it. As your child goes through piecing the puzzle together they will most likely come across a piece that doesn’t fit. Use this opportunity to suggest ways around this problem and allow them to come up with creative solutions to the problems they are facing. As your child becomes more confident in their ability to solve a simple puzzle they will gain the confidence to apply these skills to other areas of their life. As adults, we know how important problem solving and critical thinking is in every single aspect of our life so it is thus important to start instilling these skills into your children from a young age.

This fun and colourful lift-out puzzle by Djeco has 3 layers for your child to complete, eventually creating the charming wooden Rabbit’s House. A fun and educational toy, this has been designed to keep your child happy and busy, whilst developing their problem-solving skills at the same time.

This Sloth jigsaw puzzle is part of the Fantastic Animals range from Clementoni that is dedicated to animal lovers and features some of the trendiest furry friends of our time! With original illustrations, this charming puzzle includes a story behind every animal and includes the inspirational phrase ‘don’t worry, don’t hurry’!

3. Shape & Colour Recognition

From simple shapes like triangle, squares and circles to more complex shapes, jigsaws are ideal for teaching shape recognition to youngsters. The ability to identify colours and shapes is considered a notable marker and milestone in a child's cognitive development. It only helps children identify and organize visual information, but it also helps them learn skills in other areas including reading, maths, and science.

The Djeco Wooden Relief Puzzle - Bildi Duck and Friends is a colourful lift-out 3D wooden puzzle that features easy to handle characters. Ideal for learning about shapes, it includes five wooden animal pieces that slot into place including a pig, a rabbit, a chicken, a duck and a cow.

The Colour Me Happy Snake from Tender Leaf Toys will help your little one to visually identify colours and shapes while building a beautiful 3D puzzle. Made from completely sustainable wooden materials and decorated with kid-friendly paints, this is a must-have for learning, developing and playing.

4. Teamwork & Social Skills

Completing a puzzle with friends and family is a wonderful way to encourage teamwork and social skills to develop. Your child will need to collaborate, communicate and engage with those around them in order to solve the puzzle together. From resolving a disagreement to asking for help finding a piece, kids learn important lessons as they work with each other. Learning how to work cooperatively with other people is an important development milestone and can also build their leadership skills.

Djeco Observation Puzzles offer two-in-one entertainment and an excellent opportunity to engage in teamwork. Children will need to piece the puzzle together and then work as a team to find all the items shown around the border in the puzzle itself. This engaging puzzle features an adorable, beautifully designed illustration of a busy hedgehog school and comes with a matching poster that is the same size as the puzzle.

The beautifully illustrated Bountiful Garden 1000+ jigsaw puzzle from eeBoo is a fantastic screen-free activity and is great fun for the whole family. Once completed, see if you can spot some delightful details including playful rabbits, buzzing bees and strawberry vines.

5. Fine Motor Skills

A brilliantly fun way to enable your child to develop their fine motor skills is through the use of jigsaw puzzles. Playing with puzzles can have a significant impact on a child’s physical skill development as they learn to grasps pieces and match them together. Children will also be able to improve their spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination through puzzle play.

The delightful 42 Piece Rainforest Fuzzy Puzzle from Mudpuppy features a colourful rainforest illustration with soft embellishments throughout. This puzzle includes 42 chunky puzzle pieces making it perfect for little hands. Educational and fun, the fuzzy puzzle helps develop fine motor and sensory learning skills in young children.

This giant 24 piece jigsaw puzzle from Djeco will allow your child to follow the adorable bear's journey from day to night. Filled with lots of colourful and interesting details to grab your little one's attention, once completed this puzzle appears in a fun circular shape. With pieces that are ideal for little hands, this giant jigsaw puzzle will help your child develop their dexterity, hand-eye coordination and storytelling skills whilst having lots of fun at the same time.

Jigsaw puzzles are a fulfilling way to boost your child's cognitive abilities whilst letting them bask in the joy of accomplishment. You can shop our entire range of brilliant puzzles here.