Today is National Puzzle Day!

National Puzzle Day Fun Fact: The 1st jigsaw puzzle was created in the 1760's when European map makers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. Voila, the wooden jigsaw puzzle was born!

Today is the day to celebrate the fun and goodness of all kinds of puzzles! Puzzle night is a great alternative or addition to family night. Try it this week!

10 Kinds of Wooden Children's Puzzles that are available 250 years later!

1. Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles - Jigsaw puzzles come in many sizes and piece counts. You can find wooden jigsaw puzzles for children as young as 3 years old! Wooden jigsaw puzzles last longer than cardboard jigsaws and can be passed on from generation to generation.


2. Chunky Puzzles - These fun puzzles have added play value! Not only are they easy for toddlers to hold and manipulate (because they're chunky), but the pieces can also be played with separately. A chunky puzzle is a puzzle but also a set of chunky play figures :)


3. Dress Up Puzzles - A fun twist on puzzles, dress up puzzles add the element of creativity! Children enjoy changing the "outfits" on the figures and get the explore color and pattern combinations.


4. Jumbo Wooden Knob Puzzles - Wonderful first puzzles, wooden knob puzzles are easy for young children to grab and manipulate and can be used by children as young as 1 years old.


5. Wooden Peg Puzzles - Wooden peg puzzles are a step up from knob puzzles. The concept is the same but finer motor skills must be used to be able to pick up and manipulate the puzzle pieces.


6. Layered & Sequential Puzzles - Layered puzzles introduce higher level thinking. The puzzles must be done in a particular order for it to work, layer by layer. Sequential puzzles introduce the concept of ordering or sequence. These puzzles show an event from beginning to end.


7. Sound Puzzles - Wooden sound puzzles are great fun for children because the puzzle gives them sound feedback. It is self-correcting...the sound is only played when the piece is properly placed. For example, in the Pets Sound Puzzle the puppy barks.


8. Classroom Puzzles - Classroom puzzles are wood puzzles that are like peg puzzles, but without the pegs. The puzzle is turned over to get the pieces out and then the unusually shaped puzzle pieces must be put back together to create on or many objects.


9. Textured Puzzles - Textured puzzle pieces have material or other interesting textures on them which add to their sensory interest.


10. Travel Puzzles - These wooden travel puzzles come in sets of 4 that store in a wooden box. Each puzzle has a special symbol on its back to correspond with the puzzle it belongs to. The top of the storage box acts as a puzzle board to build the puzzle.

Tonight we hope you'll celebrate National Puzzle Day by enjoying some puzzles with your family. It's a great excuse to turn off the television and turn on some family time :)