Last month I shared some thinky video games that my 4-year-old twins enjoyed, but I still prefer having them play with physical games and puzzles than digital ones. My kids love jigsaw puzzles and building things with Duplos and Knex Junior, but I also wanted to find some structured puzzles for them to play more in the vein of logic puzzles. Here are five physical logic puzzles (or puzzle companies) that my kids have enjoyed.
Once again, this list is also available as a video you can watch below!
Chip Theory Kids Independent Play Series
There are four puzzles in the Chip Theory Kids Independant Play Series and they’re made specifically for kids to play independently. They have cute, colorful art and they’re magnetic, so they’re also good for travel. Each game comes with a bunch of puzzles that start very simple and get harder. I think the hard levels are still not too challenging for adults, so all the puzzles are age-appropriate. Neighborhood Hide and Seek and Tangram Adventures are spatial puzzles and very intuitive for my kids, so they were able to play them independently. Sudoku Forest is a very cute take on Sudoku but it may be a little hard for a 3-year-old to play independently since it’s not as intuitive to check if you’re correct. Pixel Party is another spatial puzzle but it was the hardest for my kids since the puzzles only use some of the pieces and my kids didn’t understand the setup.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the Independent Play Series from Chip Theory Kids.
Coogam Wooden Puzzle Pattern Blocks
Coogam is a wooden puzzle where you fit polyomino shapes into a grid square. For each puzzle, you’re given a starting arrangement of some pieces and then you use the remaining pieces to complete it. For kids who like jigsaw puzzles, this is a good thinky alternative since you need to figure out which shape can fit where. There are lots of levels ranging in difficulty - the hard levels can be hard for adults, so as your child gets better at it there will still be challenges for them.
Flipslide
Flipside is an electronic toy where you match the lit-up colors by flipping and sliding the side colors around. It’s got different modes and is reminiscent of the electronic toy Simon, except the mechanics of flipping and sliding the toy make it more of a thinky puzzle. The first mode, speed mode, is perfect for my kids because there’s no countdown and it just times how long it takes to do a certain number of puzzles. My kids were able to understand the goal very quickly and they love matching the colors.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Flipslide from Moose Toys.
SmartGames SmartCar 5x5
In SmartGames' SmartCar you’re fitting colorful blocks into a 5x5 car to match pictures. The pictures show different perspectives of the finished solution, like an overhead view and a side view. Since the blocks are 3D, they can cover other blocks to make them not visible from certain perspectives. Like other SmartGames puzzles, there are a bunch of levels of different difficulties so older kids (and adults) can also enjoy them.
My First Rush Hour
Rush Hour is probably one of the most well-known of these puzzles, and I even mentioned it in my suggestions for thinky video games last month. My First Rush Hour is the physical version is the same puzzle - sliding cars out of the way to get one car through and out the exit. The version I own is actually a magnetic travel set for older kids and adults, so the puzzles are a little too hard for my kids. But they love the theme and trying to move the cars around. I don’t have My First Rush Hour, but I would recommend that version for preschoolers since it’s made specifically for young kids with easier puzzles and shapes and colors for setup.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Rush Hour: World Tour from Ravensburger.
Many of the companies with physical puzzles have multiple puzzles, so I recommend you check out the selection and see what your kids might be interested in. For example, one of my boys loves cars, which is why SmartCar from SmartGames appealed to him more than one of the other ones with animals, but try to find a theme that will appeal to your child and they’ll be excited to play!
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