Best jigsaw puzzle | Educational fun for young and old
Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?
Play Choice now has the ultimate activity book collection, with over 60 pages of fun coloring pages and educational puzzles.
Are you already a big fan of puzzles or would you like to know more about this fun activity?
In this article we take you into the world of the jigsaw puzzle. We explain why puzzles are so fun and good for you, and which jigsaw puzzles are the best.
Puzzle is a fun leisure activity that originated in the year 1750.
First, the jigsaw puzzle was called a 'jigsaw map', and it was a common part in school during topography class.
With the help of a jigsaw puzzle, children learned in an interesting way where the different countries lay and their unique shapes.
At that time, the puzzle pieces were made from mahogany.
Today the puzzle is still used to teach children in a creative and playful way at school.
We have listed the best jigsaw puzzles for you below.
There are different types of jigsaw puzzles and we have classified them for you by category (for example 'jigsaw puzzle adults', 'jigsaw puzzle toddler', 'jigsaw puzzle 1000 pieces'). We give you our favorite per category.
Below the table we discuss each option in more detail. This way you quickly have a nice jigsaw puzzle at home that you are sure will be a pleasure to put together.
Overall best jigsaw puzzle
This puzzle from Melissa & Doug with a Dinosaur theme really appeals to the imagination. That gives great play value and replayability.
From toddler to toddler activity book collection
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Your toddler and preschooler will love this e-book, along with the accompanying printables. He or she can play with it at every stage of development, together with mom and dad.
Buy at Bol.comWhat we discuss in this comprehensive post:
- 1 Why is puzzling so much fun?
- 2 Best jigsaw puzzles rated
- 2.1 Melissa & Doug Land of Dinosaurs Floor Puzzle
- 2.2 Best Jigsaw Puzzle for Adults: Ravensburger Beautiful Sky Lines Rome Jigsaw Puzzle
- 2.3 Good jigsaw puzzle with 500 pieces 2-in-1
- 2.4 Best jigsaw puzzle with 1000 pieces
- 2.5 Romantic jigsaw puzzle with 1500 pieces
- 2.6 Another funny Jan van Haasteren jigsaw puzzle with up to 2000 pieces
- 2.7 Beautiful world map jigsaw puzzle with 5000 pieces
- 2.8 Challenging jigsaw puzzle with up to 10000 pieces
- 2.9 Sweet jigsaw puzzle with 24 pieces
- 2.10 Cheerful jigsaw puzzle with 30 pieces
- 2.11 Interactive jigsaw puzzle with an app
- 2.12 Cute animal jigsaw puzzle
- 2.13 Nice jigsaw puzzle with booklet
- 2.14 Disney's favorite jigsaw puzzle
- 2.15 Wooden jigsaw puzzle for a toddler
- 2.16 Detailed jigsaw puzzle world map
- 2.17 Handy to carry floor puzzle
- 2.18 Educational shape puzzle
- 2.19 Block puzzle for the Miffy fan
- 2.20 Fantastic 3D puzzle
- 3 Why is puzzling good for you?
- 4 Frame the jigsaw puzzle
Why is puzzling so much fun?
Puzzle is fun for everyone from young to old and it also has benefits for your brain.
At the bottom of this article we give you some interesting reasons to start puzzling, so be sure to read on!
There is a wide choice in the type of puzzles and you can choose the level of difficulty yourself.
For example, start with a somewhat simple puzzle with few pieces and build up the difficulty to keep it challenging.
A puzzle is also a nice gift to give! Whether it is for a child's birthday or for your mother, almost everyone likes puzzles.
Best jigsaw puzzles rated
Now that you are convinced of the value of making a good jigsaw puzzle, the question is of course which jigsaw puzzle you will work with.
Why are these jigsaw puzzles so good?
As you can see, there are many types of jigsaw puzzles. We will go through the categories for you here to explain per puzzle what is so fun about it and why this is our favorite.
Melissa & Doug Land of Dinosaurs Floor Puzzle
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From: 3 years
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Best: 3 – 5 years
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Up to: 6 years
- Material: Cardboard
- Number of parts: 48
- Dimensions: 29,97 x 23,52 x 7,37 cm (11.8 x 9.26 x 2.9 inches)
- Price at time of writing: €23,99 – $11.52
- Sustainability: Sustainable production
- Theme: Games and puzzles, Puzzle
- Learning objective: Cognitive development, Problem solving
- Safety parts: No small parts
- Playtime: Extended (30+ min)
- Gender inclusiveness: Breaking stereotypes
This puzzle from Melissa & Doug with a Dinosaur theme really appeals to the imagination. That gives great play value and replayability. Puzzles have a difficult time because they are difficult to combine, but if your child likes dinosaurs, they will certainly be taken out of the cupboard often.
The cardboard is thick and Melissa & Doug has a sustainable production where they replant trees. A great material and easy to clean.
With 48 large pieces you have one large puzzle and it is suitable for ages 3 and up.
Best Jigsaw Puzzle for Adults: Ravensburger Beautiful Sky Lines Rome Jigsaw Puzzle
As we mentioned above, puzzling is not only fun for children but also for adults.
Our favorite jigsaw puzzle for adults is the Ravensburger Beautiful Sky Lines Rome 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
With 1000 pieces, with which you can escape from reality completely.
When you have finished the puzzle, you will see a beautiful picture of the Italian city of Rome. The puzzle is suitable for both experienced and novice puzzlers.
With this puzzle you are able to escape from reality for a while and put your worries aside.
With 1000 pieces you can put a puzzle with a beautiful picture of the Italian city of Rome. Great fun if you've been on vacation in this beautiful city!
The puzzle is suitable for people who have experience with puzzles, but also for people who are just starting.
This puzzle has a standard format so you can easily frame it after assembling it.
Check prices and availability here
Good jigsaw puzzle with 500 pieces 2-in-1
The Jumbo Falcon Woodland Cottages contains two puzzles of 500 pieces and is a puzzle challenge for children from 12 years old.
With no less than two puzzles of 500 pieces each. Both puzzles have a drawing of an idyllic house set in a landscape full of beautiful trees and flowers.
Once you have finished one of these beautiful puzzles, you can immediately continue with the next one.
With these two puzzles of 500 pieces each, you put two idyllic houses in a landscape with colored trees and flowers. The perfect puzzles for a nature lover.
Best jigsaw puzzle with 1000 pieces
For a puzzle twice the size, with 1000 pieces, the Jan van Haasteren Allotment gardens our favorite.
With 1000 pieces and the theme 'allotments' in which everything happens. A colorful, detailed puzzle with a comic character.
Jan van Haasteren puzzles are known for their comic character. The puzzles are also often colorful and have many details. The theme of this puzzle is 'allotment gardens'.
After you have completed the puzzle, a smile is guaranteed to appear on your face. The situations that you see in the drawing are intended to be funny and it is nice to take a good look after the puzzle of what is happening in the scenes.
Those who have put Jan van Haasteren's puzzles before know that there are constantly 5 elements in each puzzle: the shark fin, Sinterklaas, the hands, the dentures and Jan's self-portrait! Can you find them all?
Romantic jigsaw puzzle with 1500 pieces
For a jigsaw puzzle with 1500 pieces, we find the Ravensburger Puzzle Passage In Paris a wonderful option.
With 1500 pieces, a drawing shows a passage in romantic Paris. The puzzle is suitable for children from 13 years and is also just as much fun for adults.
The puzzle shows a drawing of a passage in the romantic city of Paris. The passage is surrounded by shops and gives a real French atmosphere. It almost feels like you are in this street yourself!
Because the puzzle has 1500 pieces, the pieces are obviously smaller, and this puzzle is not suitable for small children due to risk of ingestion. The recommended age from 13 years.
Another funny Jan van Haasteren jigsaw puzzle with up to 2000 pieces
Are you also completely addicted to Jan van Haasteren's jigsaw puzzles, and are you looking for a new and comical puzzle challenge?
If you are considering a puzzle that will keep you busy for a while, you could go for the Jan van Haasteren the cattle market jigsaw puzzle with up to 2000 pieces.
With 2000 pieces and the theme 'cattle market' that will keep you busy for a while. The puzzle is suitable for everyone from 12 years old.
The theme of the puzzle is 'the cattle market' and the drawing shows, among other things, romping farmers with loose horses and cows. The puzzle is suitable for everyone from 12 years old.
Beautiful world map jigsaw puzzle with 5000 pieces
A puzzle that is guaranteed to appeal to the real puzzle fanatic is the Ravensburger Antique world map Jigsaw puzzle.
With 5000 pieces. An impressive project for the experienced and patient puzzler who likes to work on a puzzle for hours. The end result is beautiful!
This huge, impressive jigsaw puzzle consists of 5000 pieces. With this puzzle it seems like you are going back in time.
Because of the many puzzle pieces, this is a puzzle project for the experienced puzzler. The end result is an antique world map!
Challenging jigsaw puzzle with up to 10000 pieces
For a true challenge we recommend the Wassaw Shimibarcrafts three-dimensional wooden puzzle .
Is a special puzzle consisting of 10000 pieces that stimulates creative thinking and stimulates the brain in different ways.
Ideal for children from 14 years, among other things to develop intelligence as well as other (thinking) skills.
This puzzle with up to 10000 beautiful wooden pieces offers a unique experience for the legger, stimulates the brain and develops creative thinking. It also improves your multi-dimensional cognitive level and allows you to relax.
The puzzle is also ideal for children, especially to develop intelligence as well as other (thinking) skills. The puzzle is suitable for children from 14 years old. The end result is special and has beautiful colors. This is certainly one to frame and display after installation.
Sweet jigsaw puzzle with 24 pieces
A nice, simple puzzle for the little puzzler is the Luna Frozen 2-sided puzzle with 24 pieces.
With 24 pieces and on one side of the puzzle you will find an image of Princess Elsa and her sister and on the other side is the same image, only this time without color. You can consider this side of the puzzle as a coloring page and fill it in yourself.
The nice thing about this 'Frozen' themed puzzle is that it is double sided: on one side you will find an image of Princess Elsa and her sister and on the other side you will find exactly the same image, only this time without color.
So you can color this side completely yourself! After coloring you can make your own decorated puzzle yourself or have someone else make it. The puzzle consists of 24 pieces of sturdy cardboard.
Cheerful jigsaw puzzle with 30 pieces
A good example of a 30-piece puzzle, we believe, is the Castorland jigsaw puzzle Big Turnip.
With 30 pieces it is brightly colored and suitable for children from 4 years of age.
The puzzle is from the Castorland brand and has the theme 'the big turnip'. The picture shows a farmer's family who are all trying to pull the enormous turnip out of the ground, including the dog.
The puzzle has cheerful colors and is suitable for children from 4 years of age.
Interactive jigsaw puzzle with an app
For a real modern jigsaw puzzle you can go for the Cars jigsaw puzzle with app.
Is a puzzle with the 'Cars' theme and a corresponding application to continue playing. In the app you can personalize your puzzle and also assemble 8 other digital puzzles. The puzzle and app are suitable for children from the age of six.
What is so special about this puzzle? After assembling the puzzle with the theme 'Cars' you can download an app for free to continue playing.
For example, you can adjust the background, get to know the characters and make eight other puzzles digitally. You can add stickers to the images and customize them completely the way you want.
So for extra fun! The puzzle and app are suitable for children from the age of six.
Looking for even more educational apps for your kids? Let your kids teach themselves with these 8 educational apps!
Cute animal jigsaw puzzle
Are you specifically looking for an animal themed puzzle? Then maybe the Ravensburger puzzle comic animal portraits a nice option.
Contains three jigsaw puzzles with fun animal pictures. Each puzzle consists of 49 pieces and is suitable for children from approx 5 years old.
With this puzzle set you get three puzzles consisting of funny animal portraits. For example, one puzzle has a piglet with a toothbrush, the other a rabbit with a large, warm hat on its head and the third puzzle has a kitten with a funny mouth.
Each puzzle consists of 49 pieces and is suitable for children from about 5 years old.
Nice jigsaw puzzle with booklet
For a jigsaw puzzle in combination with a booklet, the jigsaw puzzle with booklet by fireman Sam our favorite.
Contains four different puzzles and is suitable for children from the age of 3.
The booklet contains four puzzles in which your little one can meet the brave firefighter Sam and experience exciting adventures.
After puzzling you can read the stories together so that the puzzles really come to life. Help Sam in an emergency and save the people! The booklet with the puzzles is suitable for children from 3 years of age.
Disney's favorite jigsaw puzzle
This Jumbo jigsaw puzzle Disney Princess Selfie consists of 1000 puzzle pieces and has a picture of all the favorite Disney princesses.
With 1000 pieces and images of all kinds of popular Disney princesses and consists of 1000 pieces. The cheerful puzzle is suitable for children from 12 years of age.
From Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and Ariel to Mulan, Cinderella and Snow White. Put the puzzle and discover the 'selfie' of your favorite princess.
The puzzle forms a colorful whole and is ideal as a gift for a big fan of the Disney princesses. The brave Disney girls will certainly capture the imagination!
Wooden jigsaw puzzle for a toddler
Our favorite jigsaw puzzle for a toddler is the Goki 9-piece wooden farm puzzle.
Is made of wooden pieces that are easy to grasp with small hands. The puzzle is suitable for children between the ages of 1 and 2 years.
This puzzle is made of wood, consists of nine pieces and has the theme 'farm'. The pieces are easy to grasp with small toddler hands.
It is a solid puzzle with beautiful bright colors that invite you to play. Toddlers will learn where to place the pieces as they play. The puzzle is suitable for small children between the ages of 1 and 2 years.
Detailed jigsaw puzzle world map
Do you think it is cool to put a puzzle of a (detailed) world map?
Then we have the Ravensburger political world map jigsaw puzzle chosen for you as a favorite.
With 1000 pieces, suitable for both beginners and experienced puzzlers. The minimum age for this puzzle is 14 years.
The puzzle consists of 1000 pieces and can be placed by both a beginner and an experienced puzzler.
This puzzle has a standard format, so ideal in case you would like to frame the end result. The puzzle would look very nice on the wall of your office, for example. The minimum age for this puzzle is 14 years.
Handy to carry floor puzzle
What could be more fun for a child than one mega floor puzzle from clown Bumba?
With 16 pieces, a huge floor puzzle from clown Bumba. The puzzle comes in a handy storage box with handle and is suitable for children from 3 years old.
This mega floor puzzle from Studio 100 has 16 giant puzzle pieces and is designed for children from 3 years. The puzzle comes in a handy box, so when your child has finished puzzling, it is also stored away.
Thanks to the handle, the puzzle is also convenient to carry. Great if, for example, you are going to visit somewhere and you want to bring something with you for your little one to enjoy independently.
Educational shape puzzle
With this Melissa & Doug shape puzzle with sound a child is introduced to the shapes of a house.
In the shape of a house, with seven puzzle pieces. The puzzle makes a sound when you place the puzzle shapes in the right place in the house. The puzzle is suitable for children from 2 years of age.
The eight puzzle pieces are made of wood and have nice colors. When you put a puzzle piece in the right place, the puzzle makes a sound.
When the puzzle pieces are not yet in place, you can look inside the house and experience what is happening behind every window or door.
The puzzle is suitable for children aged from 2 years and is guaranteed to provide hours of fun for your little one.
Block puzzle for the Miffy fan
Our favorite block puzzle is the Ravensburger Miffy 4-in-1 box block puzzle with a total of 72 pieces.
Contains four different puzzles, each with a different number of pieces (12, 16, 20 and 24). The puzzles are suitable for children from 3 years of age.
With this Miffy puzzle box you are able to make four different puzzles. Because all four puzzles have a different number of pieces (12, 16, 20 and 24), the difficulty is increased slightly.
The puzzle pieces are made of cardboard and thanks to the hand-made punching knives characteristic of Ravensburger puzzles, the shape variation of the pieces is endless. The puzzles are suitable for children from 3 years of age.
Fantastic 3D puzzle
How about a lifelike 3D puzzle? In this category we recommend the 3D Puzzle Neuschwanstein Castle .
Where you can put the magical Neuschwanstein castle in 3D with 121 pieces. When you have finished the puzzle you have a beautiful item for your home.
You build the magical Neuschwanstein castle in 121D with 3 puzzle pieces. This is a real challenge because you have to think multi-dimensional here. 3D puzzles promote the puzzler's spatial insight and creative thinking.
Neuschwanstein is considered Louis II's most famous building and can be admired in Bavaria, Germany. After puzzling, you can proudly display the end result in your bedroom or living room, or any other place in the house.
This beautiful 3D puzzle is a real eye-catcher!
Why is puzzling good for you?
Puzzle is fun for adults as well as for children, which is why we also have a good number of puzzles for adults in our favorite jigsaw puzzle list!
There are several reasons why puzzling is a useful leisure activity for young and old, and we will tell you more about that in the next section.
Puzzling stimulates memory
Very first puzzles stimulates your memory. As is known, our brains consist of a left and a right half. Each half has its own functions and responsibilities.
The left side of the brain is our analytical side, which in the case of a puzzle ensures that we place the pieces in a logical way.
The right half is about creativity and mainly works with intuition. Because both hemispheres have to work well together when completing a puzzle, you improve your learning ability and your memory.
Puzzling develops your problem-solving skills
beside puzzle solving improves your problem solving skills. With the help of both hemispheres of the brain, a combination of logical thinking and creativity is formed, and that leads to learning by 'trying'.
Your brain makes an assumption, as it were, and we test it. In this way you develop and improve your problem-solving skills.
Puzzling is relaxing
Besides the learning ability, puzzling is also good for you because it can let you relax. You are completely focused on finding the right puzzle pieces, so that you are included in the task and do not have time for stress or negative thoughts.
So it is a very calming activity that promotes mindfulness and lowers your stress hormones. Forget your problems completely and start doing puzzles!
Puzzling stimulates the production of dopamine
Finally, puzzling causes your brain to produce dopamine. Dopamine is a substance that makes you feel happy.
You get such a happy and satisfied feeling the moment you put a puzzle piece in the right place. That is why puzzling becomes addictive at some point and you want to keep working until you have finished it.
And as soon as you have finished the puzzle, you also want to start a new one as soon as possible. Dopamine also influences your motor skills, your confidence and a better concentration.
Enough reasons to make puzzles your new hobby!
Frame the jigsaw puzzle
After you have put together a beautiful puzzle, it is in most cases nice to frame and hang it.
In the table above we have listed a number of puzzle options that have a standard size and therefore have the ideal sizes for framing.
Ravensburger also has a special one puzzle preserver marketed that ensures a durable fixation of all Ravensburger puzzles.
It is especially important to apply the glue to the seams. Let the glue dry well, then you will see that the preservative becomes transparent. A can of puzzle glue is good for about four times 1000 puzzle pieces.
Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?
Play Choice now has the ultimate activity book collection, with over 60 pages of fun coloring pages and educational puzzles.
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.