(Mudpuppy $16.99 each) There are three 70-piece puzzles in this new geography collection: A Map of the United States, A Map of Europe, and the Solar System. The pieces are small and challenging and the finished puzzle will be 23” x 16.5, so a good-sized work surface is needed where this can be solved over a few days and left to admire and explore after it’s done. Best of all, the pieces of the maps are shaped like the states, countries or planets and the shaped pieces are als

(Mudpuppy $16.99) It’s a two-way puzzle. First you must put the 64 pieces together and it’s not so easy. The busy rainforest image is teaming with birds, butterflies, animals and even strange insects. The frame of the puzzle holds the clues for the second part of the fun. All the creatures found in the big puzzle are shown around the border of the puzzle. The object is to look at the frame and find each of the matching creatures in the big picture. There are forty things to f

(Learning Journey $10.95) For beginning counters you’ll want to start with just a few pairs of numeral and matching objects. There are thirty self-correcting puzzle sets and as the number of objects gets bigger the small objects get harder to count. But early school age kids love to count and matching numerals to the right set only works if they count the objects correctly. A fun game for solo play that is very satisfying for children who are mastering these basic concepts. P

(Mudpuppy 14.99) Clear a big space on the floor to work this jumbo size puzzle that will be a big 22-inch square when completed. With 25 big sturdy cardboard pieces, your preschooler will need help to get started. Give beginners strategies for solving puzzles; show him the pieces with smooth sides, the outside edges. Some puzzles have a frame, though this one does not. They will need to follow the illustration on the box and find the pieces that match the image. Younger kids

(Mudpuppy $24.99) My Pop Up Dollhouse is ideal to take-along on a visit to Gram's or for Gram to keep in the closet for overnight visits. It doesn’t take the place of a real dollhouse, but it’s a small cardboard setting that opens and comes with a cast of storybook-like characters as well as very simple furnishings and stickers. There is no pre-made story except the ones that will come from your child's imagination. All the pieces fit back in the house shaped box when play is

(Mudpuppy $11.99) Enhanced with shiny foil, this 100-piece puzzle with a science fiction look of robotics will no doubt appeal to both boys and girls. The pieces are small and this is a challenging but satisfying puzzle. Giving beginners more complex puzzles is an important step in teaching them to find strategies for problem solving tasks. Puzzles like this also demand kids to stretch their stickability skills in the face of frustration—a life-skill that needs to be nurtured

(Mudpuppy $16.99 each) Clear the floor and let the fun begin. Thirty good sized pieces fit together in a three-foot long scene that features four animals in their unique habitats. There’s a two-piece penguin, a three-piece fox, a four-piece lion and a five-piece elephant. Kids can put the animals together separately as stand-alone puzzles, or fit the scenes together that will create the telling space for each animal (as shown). Give kids strategies for fitting the sky togethe

(Mudpuppy $11.99) You’ve probably heard...“All that glitter is not gold.” In this case, that is totally true but the silvery glitter on this castle with princesses in every tower is likely be an added attraction. With 100-pieces this is not a simple puzzle. In fact, it’s a pretty challenging one with small pieces. The designs on the castle towers and the sky with flags will offer visual clues. Giving beginners more complex puzzles is an important step in teaching them to find

(Fisher-Price $39.99) This miniature setting is part of a “village” of sorts that can be connected to other settings or enjoyed as a stand-alone. Of all the settings in the new line we find this one the most interesting. There’s a firehouse with a firetruck and a firefighter, who gets the kitty down from a tree. On top of the firehouse there’s a light and a rescue helicopter ready to be activated when kids crank the wheel on the side of the building. A button activates lights

(K’nex $49.99) For a long time these classic building toys with rounds and rods were changed from the original wood to plastic. Talk about things going full circle, this year’s Tinkertoys have returned to real wood. The rods are color coded by length and kids can follow the designs or create their own. Choose the big 100 piece set or a smaller 65 pice set. Comes with suggested building ideas but also fun to use in an open ended way. Marked for 3 and up, but we think 3s will h