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Best Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers (Jigsaw, Chunky, Peg, and More)

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Keeping a toddler entertained is not always the easiest task.

Especially on those rainy days when it’s not feasible to go to play outside or go to the park.

So, how do you occupy a toddler’s active little mind without giving in to screen time for an entire day? Toddler puzzles!

Solving puzzles is an excellent indoor activity you can do with your toddler that’s both fun and educational.

If you’re looking for the best wooden puzzles for toddlers, these are our top picks.

Related: 24 Best Baby Toys That Teach Cause-and-Effect

The best wooden puzzles for toddlers (quick glance)

Just here for a quick list of recommendations?

Dreampark Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

  • 6 Animal jigsaw puzzles
  • Solid wood puzzle pieces
  • Made with water-based paint
  • Best for ages 3 and up
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Aitbay Wooden Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzles

  • 6 Dinosaur jigsaw puzzles
  • Puzzles stand up
  • Sturdy wood pieces
  • Best for ages 3 and up
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My Toys Choice Princess and Unicorn Jigsaw Puzzles for Toddlers

  • 3 Princess jigsaw puzzles
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Non-toxic paint
  • Best for ages 3 and up
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Top Bright Wooden Alphabet and Numbers Puzzle Set

  • 2 Wooden chunky puzzles
  • Made from high-quality wood
  • Non-toxic paint
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Best Wooden Puzzle With Sound: Pinkfong Baby Shark Chunky Wood Sound Puzzle

  • Helps toddlers with sound recognition
  • Plays the Baby Shark song
  • Has an on/off switch
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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GYBBER & MUMU Wooden Colorful Shape Puzzle

  • 9 Geometric shapes and colors
  • Made from natural wood and non-toxic paint
  • ASTM & CPSIA approved
  • Best for ages 18 months and up
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Best Disney Wooden Chunky Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Wooden Chunky Puzzle

  • 8 Extra-thick wooden puzzle pieces
  • Puzzle pieces stand up
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Melissa & Doug Farm & Pets Wooden Chunky Puzzles Set

  • 2 Toddler puzzles to solve
  • Pieces stand up for imaginative play
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Alphabet, Numbers, and Colors Puzzle Set

  • 3 Peg puzzles to solve
  • Colorful wooden puzzle pieces with pegs
  • Corresponding pictures underneath
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Melissa & Doug World of Animals Wooden Peg Puzzles for Toddlers

  • 3 Animal peg puzzles to solve
  • High-quality wood
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Melissa & Doug Vehicles Wooden Peg Puzzle

  • 8 Educational puzzle pieces
  • Matching colors underneath
  • Practice naming common vehicles
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Best Disney Wooden Peg Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Shapes and Colors Wooden Peg Puzzle

  • Features several Disney characters
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Learn colors and shapes
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Melissa & Doug Shapes and Barn Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle Set

  • 2 Jumbo knob wooden puzzles
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Learn shapes and colors & practice naming animals
  • Best for ages 12 months and up
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Melissa & Doug Vehicles Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle

  • 8 Jumbo knob puzzle pieces
  • Matching pictures underneath
  • Practice naming sea, air, and land vehicles
  • Best for ages 12 months and up
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Best Disney Wooden Cube Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Disney Princess Wooden Cube Puzzle

  • 6 Puzzles in 1
  • Comes with a sturdy storage tray
  • Promotes problem-solving skills
  • Best for ages 3 and up
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Melissa & Doug Farm Wooden Cube Puzzle

  • 6 Puzzles in 1
  • Comes with a sturdy storage tray
  • Promotes problem-solving skills
  • Best for ages 3 and up
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Best Personalized Wooden Puzzle: Fat Brain Toys Wooden Personalized Name Puzzle

  • Custom-made up to 9 characters
  • Extra-large puzzle pieces
  • Made from high-quality wood
  • Best for ages 12 months and up
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Best Wooden Shape and Color Sorting Puzzle: Dreampark Wooden Shape and Color Sorting Puzzle

  • 5 Geometric shapes and colors
  • Learn shapes and colors
  • Made from high-quality wood and non-toxic paint
  • Best for ages 2 and up
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Are puzzles good for toddlers?

Yes! Your toddler may think it’s just a game, but puzzles are fantastic learning tools.

Puzzles can help strengthen your little one’s hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, shape recognition, memory, problem-solving, and more (source).

They’re also the perfect way to get some one-on-one bonding time with your child.

When you’re searching for the best puzzles for toddlers, wooden puzzles are an excellent choice for this age group because they’re much more durable than paperboard puzzles and can withstand being taken apart and put back together over and over again.

How to choose the best wood puzzles for toddlers

There’s no shortage of wooden puzzles for kids out there. So, how do you know which ones are best for toddlers?

When you’re shopping for 12-month-olds, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds, you want to be sure you are choosing puzzles that are age-appropriate.

In order to do this, there are a few key things to look for.

1. Are the puzzle pieces large enough and easy to grab?

The best puzzles for toddlers have easy-to-grasp pieces. These will be larger than your average puzzle piece.

Look for labels like “chunky pieces” or puzzle pieces with “pegs” or “knobs.”

Since toddlers are still developing their fine motor skills, thicker pieces or puzzle pieces with pegs are much easier for them to pick up.

2. Are the colors vibrant?

Next, try to look for bright, vibrant colors.

At this age, kids are still developing their color recognition skills and bold hues make it easier to differentiate between colors.

You can usually tell whether or not a puzzle has good colors by looking at the pictures on the box or reading the reviews if you’re shopping online.

If it looks like the pictures could use some more color, that’s probably a hint.

3. Are they durable?

You will also want to look for toddler puzzles that are built to last.

This is why we are fans of wooden puzzles rather than paperboard puzzles.

That being said, since you are shopping for a toddler, be sure to look for wooden pieces with rounded corners and a smooth finish.

You don’t want any sharp edges or rough surfaces.

4. What materials are they made from?

Most toddler puzzle manufacturers try to use non-toxic materials and stay away from lead, BPA, and phthalates.

However, it’s still a good idea to double-check– Especially if your toddler still tends to chew on their toys from time to time.

Finally, it may be helpful to check the manufacturer’s age recommendations to make sure that the toddler puzzle is appropriate for your child’s age and developmental stage.

Keep in mind, this is just a recommendation.

Some toddlers may be ready to try out a certain puzzle before they have reached the recommended age– Especially with a parent’s help. Others may not be ready until later.

We’ve been mindful of these considerations when selecting our recommendations.

The wooden puzzles we’re sharing with you today range from simple wooden shapes to a little more complex puzzles for older toddlers, and they all have bold colors that stand out.

What are the main types of wooden toddler puzzles?

What are the different types of toddler puzzles and which kind is best for your toddler? Let’s find out!

Jigsaw puzzles

A jigsaw puzzle is a classic type of puzzle where you have a picture divided into many small pieces.

The goal is to put the pieces back together so that the entire image is displayed.

This type of puzzle can be good for toddlers because it helps with their problem-solving skills, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and more.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that a jigsaw puzzle can be frustrating for a toddler who is still developing these skills.

If your child is under 3-years-old or gets frustrated easily, you may want to try one of the other types of puzzles on this list first.

Chunky puzzles

Chunky puzzles are great for toddlers because they have extra-thick easy-to-grasp pieces that can stand up to a toddler’s rough play.

This type of puzzle is perfect for younger toddlers who are just starting to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

A lot of times, chunky puzzle pieces will be able to stand up on their own also, giving your toddler plenty of opportunities for imaginative play.

Peg puzzles

A peg puzzle is another type of puzzle that’s ideal for toddlers because the pieces will have small knobs or “pegs” on them that make it easier for kids to grab onto.

Since peg puzzles are usually a bit thinner than chunky puzzles, they are sometimes less durable.

However, they’re still great options because they also help toddlers strengthen their shape and color recognition skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, fine motor skills, and more.

Jumbo knobs

Much like peg puzzles, these puzzles also have handles for toddlers to easily grasp. The only difference is these handles are much larger and are called jumbo knobs instead.

Jumbo knob puzzles are perfect for younger toddlers who are just starting out and haven’t yet developed strong enough fine motor skills for peg puzzles.

Cube puzzles

Cube puzzles are a good option for toddlers who are ready to move up from chunky or peg puzzles as they are usually more challenging to solve.

As the name suggests, these puzzles consist of a few cubes. Each cube will have part of a picture on it.

Then, you solve the puzzle by arranging the cubes together to form the whole scene.

Cube puzzles are also a good bang for your buck since it’s common for them to have several scenes in one puzzle for your toddler to solve.

And, of course, these are excellent for your toddler’s development too!

Sorting puzzles and other types

Those are the main types of puzzles for toddlers, but they’re not the only types.

There are also sorting puzzles– where your toddler sorts the puzzle pieces by color or shape.

And, there are Montessori sorting puzzle games that are gaining popularity as well.

Best wooden jigsaw puzzles for toddlers

If you are looking for some cute animal jigsaw puzzles for toddlers, consider the Dreampark Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles.

This wooden puzzle set comes with 6 very cute and vibrant animal-themed puzzles that will keep your toddler entertained while also improving their problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.

Each puzzle piece is made from high-quality wood and has a smooth finish.

Your toddler will have a blast assembling the pieces to make a crab, owl, bumblebee, bear, butterfly, or ladybug.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 3-years-old and up

Pros:

6 Different animal jigsaw puzzles
Puzzle pieces are solid wood
Made with water-based paint
Vibrant colors

Cons:

Some of the pieces may be small enough to fit inside the mouth
May have a slight odor temporarily, but the smell should go away after some ventilation

The Aitbay Wooden Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzles are the perfect gift for any dinosaur-loving toddler.

This set includes 6 different jigsaw puzzles, each of which features a different type of dinosaur. The names of each dinosaur are also printed on the puzzle board.

These wooden puzzles are wonderful tools to get your toddler’s imagination going while also improving their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

The best part? The puzzles also stand up for endless fun.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 3-years-old and up

Pros:

6 Different dinosaur jigsaw puzzles
Puzzles stand up
Vibrant colors
Thick and sturdy wood pieces

Cons:

Some of the puzzle pieces may be small enough to fit inside the mouth
Pieces may be a little hard to connect and disconnect for younger toddlers

If you have a little one who loves princesses or unicorns, the My Toys Choice Princess and Unicorn Jigsaw Puzzles are a must-have.

This wooden puzzle set will provide plenty of screen-free entertainment while also helping to strengthen your toddler’s problem-solving and fine motor skills.

Each puzzle board also includes the matching picture underneath the pieces. This helps ease some of the frustration toddlers sometimes experience with puzzles because it makes them a little easier to solve.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 3-years-old and up

Pros:

3 Different princess jigsaw puzzles
Matching pictures underneath
Vibrant colors
Environmentally-friendly wood and non-toxic paint

Cons:

Some of the pieces may be small enough to fit inside the mouth

Best chunky wooden puzzles for toddlers

If you’ve been looking for a fun way to introduce letters and numbers to your toddler, then you’re going to love the Top Bright Alphabet and Numbers Wooden Puzzle Set.

This set comes with two different toddler puzzles: A wooden alphabet puzzle and a wooden 0-9 numbers puzzle as well.

Each puzzle has large chunky pieces that are brightly colored and easy to grasp.

You will have everything you need to help your 2-year-old start recognizing their letters and numbers! You could also use these puzzles to practice naming different colors too.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old and up

Pros:

2 Different wooden chunky puzzles
Vibrant colors
Made from high-quality wood
Made from water-based, non-toxic paint

Cons:

The pieces from the alphabet puzzle may be small enough to fit in the mouth
No matching pictures underneath

If your toddler is a fan of the Baby Shark song, why not get them this adorable Pinkfong Baby Shark Chunky Wood Sound Puzzle?

This sound puzzle includes 5 thick pieces that are shaped like mommy, daddy, grandpa, grandma, and baby shark.

Each puzzle piece also triggers the popular Baby Shark song– Which may or may not be a good thing for parents– But lots of fun for toddlers nonetheless!

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old and up

Pros:

Helps toddlers with sound recognition
No longer have to pull up the Baby Shark song on your phone 😉
Vibrant colors
Has an on/off switch

Cons:

Color may come off easily when wiping clean
Does not come with batteries
May drive parents a bit batty after a few plays 😅

Are you looking for a wooden toddler puzzle to help your child learn shapes and colors?

The GYBBER & MUMU Wooden Colorful Shape Puzzle has 9 different pieces, each piece having its own geometric shape and color.

It’s also made from natural wood, so it’s sturdy enough to withstand even the toughest toddler play.

This puzzle has also been tested to meet all ASTM & CPSIA standards.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 18 months and up

Pros:

9 Geometric shapes and colors
Sturdy puzzle pieces made from natural wood
Non-toxic paint
ASTM & CPSIA approved

Cons:

Although it’s advertised to have larger pieces, some parents have expressed concerns
The circle shape fits inside the square shape, which might be a little confusing at first for toddlers
No matching pictures or colors underneath

The Melissa & Doug Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Wooden Chunky Puzzle is perfect for toddlers who love everything Mickey Mouse!

This wood puzzle includes 8 chunky pieces for your child to match, each with an image of one of the characters from Disney’s popular show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on them.

While it won’t play the hotdog song for you, it is a screen-free activity that your toddler can do over and over again.

And, it’ll help with those fine-motor skills too!

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

Extra-thick wooden puzzle pieces
Puzzle pieces stand up for imaginative play
Matching pictures underneath
Bright colors

Cons:

Paint may chip or scratch off fairly easily

If you are looking for chunky puzzles with animals, you may want to consider the Melissa & Doug Farm & Pets Wooden Chunky Puzzles Set.

This set comes with 2 separate chunky wooden toddler puzzles– One features farm-themed animals and the other features pets.

Your toddler will learn the names of 18 different animals while also improving hand-eye coordination.

Best of all, the pieces stand up for imaginative play.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

2 Wooden toddler puzzles to solve
Pieces stand up for imaginative play
Matching pictures underneath
Colorful artwork

Cons:

Paint may chip or scratch after some time

Best wooden peg puzzles for toddlers

If you’re looking for toddler peg puzzles that specifically focus on colors, numbers, and letters, take a look at the Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Peg Puzzles.

This wooden puzzle bundle includes three separate puzzles.

The first one is all about the alphabet. Each pegged puzzle piece includes 1 of 26 letters.

The second one focuses on numbers 0-9.

And the third is a really cute fish-themed peg puzzle that includes 10 different colors to help with color recognition.

Best of all, the corresponding pictures and colors are included underneath each puzzle piece to make it easier for your toddler to solve and help prevent frustration.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

3 Different peg puzzles to solve
Wooden puzzle pieces with pegs
Corresponding pictures underneath
Plenty of bright colors

Cons:

Some parents believe these puzzles aren’t as durable as some of the others
The pictures underneath are not exactly the same, so this may be confusing

Do you have a 2-year-old who loves animals? Then you can’t go wrong with the Melissa & Doug World of Animals Wooden Peg Puzzles.

This bundle comes with 3 different animal-themed peg puzzles:

Pets toddler puzzle: 8 peg pieces that feature a jumping dog, horse, iguana, rabbit, fish in a bowl, turtle, cat, and a dog inside his doghouse

Safari animal toddler puzzle: 7 peg pieces that feature a giraffe, standing hippo, hippo standing in the water, lion, zebra, alligator, and elephant

Farm animal toddler puzzle: 8 peg pieces that feature a sheep, duck with her duckling, hen with her baby chick, pig, cow, rooster, horse, and barn

The matching pictures are also included underneath each puzzle piece to make the whole experience more exciting for your toddler.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

3 Different animal peg puzzles to solve
Made from high-quality wood that’s sanded smooth
Matching pictures underneath
Vibrant artwork

Cons:

Not as heavy-duty as some of the other toddler puzzles

The Melissa & Doug Vehicles Wooden Peg Puzzle is a winner for any 2-year-old or 3-year-old who loves all things trucks, helicopters, airplanes, etc.

You’ll find full-color matching pictures underneath each of the 8 pegged puzzle pieces.

This peg puzzle includes all the popular land, sea, and air vehicles including a helicopter, airplane, dump truck, fire truck, police car, ambulance, garbage truck, and school bus.

Toddlers will love solving this one over and over again and naming their favorites!

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

8 Educational peg pieces
Full-color matching pictures underneath
Practice naming common land and air vehicles
Vibrant and realistic colors

Cons:

Thinner than some of the other toddler puzzles and, as a result, not as durable

The Melissa & Doug Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Shapes and Colors Wooden Peg Puzzle is a great choice for any toddler who’s a fan of Mickey Mouse, especially if they’re fans of the Disney show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

This puzzle includes eight different brightly colored wooden pieces that are designed to look like iconic characters from the show (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and more).

Each pegged piece reveals a different shape and color underneath.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 2-years-old to 4

Pros:

Features several different Disney characters
Learn shapes and colors
Matching pictures underneath
Cute and colorful

Cons:

Characters may chip or peel off sooner than expected
The orange and brown colors look very similar so it may be harder for some toddlers to differentiate

Best wooden jumbo knob puzzles for toddlers

Are you looking for the best wooden puzzles for a younger toddler?

We love the Melissa & Doug Shapes and Barn Wooden Puzzle Set. Each puzzle in the set only has 3 jumbo puzzle pieces that are all colorful and well-made.

Each puzzle piece has jumbo-sized knobs that are super easy for tiny hands to grasp.

This wooden puzzle set will help your toddler with their visual perception skills, hand-eye coordination, and shape recognition.

Prefer a different theme? You can also get this set in Fish and Pets.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 12 months to 2 years

Pros:

2 Different jumbo knob wooden puzzles
Learn shapes and colors + practice naming animals
Matching pictures underneath
Bold colors

Cons:

The pictures on the puzzle pieces may start to peel off

If you have a younger toddler who loves airplanes, trucks, trains– Basically anything with wheels!

Then the Melissa & Doug Vehicles Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle is a must-have.

This wooden puzzle has a total of 8 large brightly-colored pieces that are easy for young children to grasp.

Teach your child the names of different vehicles while strengthening their cognitive, fine motor, and problem-solving skills at the same time.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 12 months to 2 years

Pros:

8 Jumbo knob puzzle pieces
Practice naming sea, air, and land vehicles
Matching pictures underneath
Vibrant colors

Cons:

The pictures on the puzzle pieces are stickers rather than paint

Best wooden cube puzzles for toddlers

This Disney Princess Wooden Cube Puzzle is an excellent choice for any toddler who is a fan of Disney princesses (or princesses in general).

Each of the 16 chunky wooden cubes can be rotated and rearranged to create 6 scenes that each feature a different Disney princess.

These are so fun for kids to figure out. Once they do it once, they’ll want to solve these over and over!

Recommended age for this puzzle: 3-year-olds and up

Pros:

Puzzle creates 6 different scenes
Comes with a sturdy storage tray
Promotes problem-solving skills
Cute and colorful

Cons:

The images are stickers and the edges start to show wear rather quickly
May be too advanced for younger toddlers

If you are looking for a wooden cube puzzle for your toddler, but your child isn’t quite thrilled about princesses– The Melissa & Doug Farm Wooden Cube Puzzle may be a better fit.

This one also includes 16 different cubes that can be arranged to solve 6 different farm animal scenes.

The scenes feature a cow, horse, mom and baby duck, hen with her eggs, sheep, and a cute farm pig.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 3-year-olds and up

Pros:

Puzzle creates 6 different scenes
Comes with a sturdy storage tray
Promotes problem-solving skills
Vibrant colors

Cons:

Cube edges start to show wear quicker than expected
May be too advanced for younger toddlers

Best personalized wooden puzzle for toddlers

It’s never too early to start getting your toddler familiar with their own name.

The Fat Brain Toys Wooden Personalized Name Puzzle will help them do exactly that, while also improving their fine motor skills.

This unique puzzle is custom-made just for your child. As long as your toddler’s name is 9 or fewer characters long, you can gift them a wooden puzzle that features their name in vibrant colors.

Recommended age for this puzzle: 12 months and up

Pros:

Custom-made up to 9 characters
Extra-large puzzle pieces
Made from high-quality wood
Bold colors

Cons:

Some parents wish the letters had knobs or pegs

Best wooden shape sorting puzzle for toddlers

If it’s shapes and colors you’d like to work on specifically, check out the Dreampark Wooden Shape and Color Sorting Puzzle.

This is the best wooden shape sorter puzzle for a couple of reasons.

First, unlike many other sorting puzzles, each color corresponds to the same geometric shape.

For example, all the triangle pieces are green and all the rectangles are yellow (and so on and so forth). This makes it easier for sorting!

And, you can go ahead and breathe a big sigh of relief because these puzzles are made with quality in mind– Each geometric shape is made from high-quality wood and non-toxic, water-based paint.

Recommended age for this puzzle: Over 2-years-old

Pros:

5 Geometric shapes and colors
Made from high-quality wood
Vibrant colors
Non-toxic, water-based paint

Cons:

Some parents have noticed that the paint chips off easily

That concludes our list of the best wood puzzles for toddlers!

If your little one is ready to get started with some brain-building, then be sure to pick up a few different styles and sizes. They’re all great options that will challenge kids while they play.

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