# What age for a 24-piece puzzle?



## wannabe

I was talking about this with a friend and we were wondering... what age is average/early/late for a child to do a 24 piece jigsaw puzzle unsupervised? Google is being VERY unhelpful!


----------



## carmel23

well, it really depends on the child and the puzzle--if it has irregular edges it may be more difficult... but my 3 year-old can do some 24 piece puzzles-- it really just depends...


----------



## maya44

My oldest dd's could do this at 3 fairly easily. My youngest who has good visual/space perception, could do them around 18 months. But I think that's fairly unusual.


----------



## greeny

I also think it totally depends on the puzzle. But if you want a very, very general answer, maybe around 3?


----------



## bobandjess99

hhhmmm..DD is a puzzle-loving smart kid, but she can't do a 24 piece completely on her own, at 2.75. I'd say 3.5+?


----------



## bobica

i'd say 3-ish


----------



## treemom2

Honestly I think it really does depend on the individual child. My DD loved doing puzzles and could put together a 24 piece puzzle at 3 easily. However, my DS (32 months) gets pretty frustrated with puzzles and I'm not sure he will be able to put together a 24 piece one anytime soon.


----------



## wannabe

It would be one of those melissa and doug wooden ones with a straight edge and wooden frame around it. Also, their pictures are fairly well balanced with the size of the pieces, so you're matching Lion's nose with Lion's face, not meaningless swirl with other meaningless swirl - I'd say it's a relatively easy puzzle.

Interesting answers so far, thanks!


----------



## WalkingByFaith

I'd say somewhere between ages 2 and 3 would be an average.


----------



## Storm Bride

DD got her first one last Christmas at 3.5. She needed some help at first, but it was a fairly complex puzzle, with irregular borders. Now, she gets it out and does it sometimes when she's bored, but it takes her no time at all.


----------



## mags

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treemom2* 
Honestly I think it really does depend on the individual child. My DD loved doing puzzles and could put together a 24 piece puzzle at 3 easily. However, my DS (32 months) gets pretty frustrated with puzzles and I'm not sure he will be able to put together a 24 piece one anytime soon.

ITA!


----------



## armyprincess

I was just talking about this with my dad. I just got one for my DD. She is 22mo and loves puzzels. We will see how it goes tomorrow. It is a Elmo one with lots of people and stuff. I would like around 2-3 would be a good age.


----------



## A&A

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobica* 
i'd say 3-ish









:

But it really does depend on the child and his/her spatial abilities.


----------



## Alkenny

It really does depend on the child. My DS got his first one at 2.5 and had it solved within a couple of minutes. He's 3 now, and doing 100 piece puzzles, BUT I think he's the exception, not the rule.


----------



## chinaKat

DD got one of those 24 piece Melissa and Doug puzzles for xmas last year and could do it on her own after doing it with me a few times... she was 2 years 4 months at the time. She got a 48 piece M&D puzzle, too and can do that one, as well... but she sometimes loses interest before she's done, too.

She's always liked puzzles, though.


----------



## teachma

Yep, totally depends on a combination of the child's interest, previous experience with jigsaw puzzles, patience/attention span and visual-spatial ability. Neither of my children was much into puzzles; they have other interests. At three, neither could do a 24 piece jigsaw but then again, we had never spent any time working on puzzles together and I am personally not interested (I struggle with visual-spatial tasks) so I didn't necessarily encourage it!


----------



## LaughingHyena

DD is really into puzzles and has been doing the 24 piece one we have since about 2.5, it's a simple rectangle one. Though she still hasn't quite got that all the edge pieces have straight sides









It says 4+ on the box but I'd get one for a child of 2 -3. I'd much rather get a puzzle that they need a bot of help with a first than one thats too easy. I got a few simple wooden ones in a sale that I saved for DD and she hardly used them.


----------



## Justmee

One of my 3yo has been doing them for about a year, teh other is just starting. My 2yo can't do a 24 piece puzzle by herself, but she can sometimes do the 12 piece M&D ones. And she can help put in the pieces of the 48 piece ones.


----------

