Toys That Develop Problem Solving
Our Top 5 Picks
Engaging Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Puzzle
The Melissa & Doug Dinosaurs Floor Puzzle is a fantastic educational tool for young learners, featuring 48 extra-thick pieces that create a vibrant 2 feet by 3 feet dinosaur scene. Not only does this fun puzzle foster hand-eye coordination and critical problem-solving skills, but it also captivates children's imaginations with its beautiful original artwork. Perfect for family time or classroom activities, this puzzle encourages teamwork and concentration, making it an ideal choice for parents and educators committed to supporting developmental growth while having a blast. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Engaging Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Puzzle includes 48 extra-thick pieces that create a vibrant dinosaur scene, making learning feel like an exciting adventure for kids and families alike.
NERF Mini Foam Sports Ball Fun
NERF Mini Foam Sports Ball Set is the ultimate gift for our little sports enthusiasts! This fantastic three-sport pack equips young players with a mini football, mini soccer ball, and mini basketball, making it a versatile choice for playful learning. Not only do these soft foam balls encourage physical activity and coordination, but they also foster teamwork and social skills as kids engage in fun, interactive games. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
NERF Mini Foam Sports Ball Fun includes a versatile three-sport pack that keeps kids active and encourages creativity, whether they’re inside or out. Plus, who needs a gym membership when you have a mini football?
Sum Swamp Math Game for Fun Learning
The Learning Resources Sum Swamp Game turns math practice into an adventure! As fellow educators and parents, we know that engaging kids in early math skills can often feel like a challenge, but this game makes it a breeze. Kids race through a whimsical swamp, facing fun math challenges and meeting quirky swamp creatures that keep them entertained while developing addition and subtraction fluency. 5+ years
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Why we love it:
Sum Swamp Math Game for Fun Learning invites kids to race through a whimsical swamp while tackling math challenges, making every playtime feel like a lively adventure in numbers!
Master Money Skills with Money Bags Game
Learning Resources Money Bags Coin Value Game is a delightful way for kids to dive into the world of financial literacy! This engaging board game encourages children to collect, count, and exchange money, all while having fun racing to the finish line. As parents and educators, we know the importance of teaching our little ones valuable money skills that will last a lifetime, making this game a fantastic choice for both playdates and educational settings. 5-10 years
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Why we love it:
Master Money Skills with Money Bags Game features realistic play money, making learning about finances feel like an exciting race while equipping kids with essential money skills for life.
Cooking Fun with Pretend & Play Set
Learning Resources Pretend & Play Cooking Set is the perfect way to spark your child's imagination in the kitchen! With 10 colorful pieces, including a cheerful tea kettle and fun frying pan, children will develop essential imaginative play skills as they whip up delightful storylines and scenarios. This vibrant cookware set fosters creativity and encourages expressive play, making it a fantastic choice for toddlers and preschoolers. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Cooking Fun with Pretend & Play Set includes 10 colorful pieces that unleash creativity while fostering essential skills, all from the comfort of your very own play kitchen!
Mastermind for Kids: Codebreaking Fun
Pressman Mastermind for Kids is a thrilling twist on the classic codebreaking game designed especially for our young learners. With three levels of play, it eases children into the world of critical thinking and problem-solving, making it the perfect way to boost deductive reasoning and logic skills. Featuring adorable jungle animal pieces, kids will be captivated while they take turns creating and cracking secret codes. 6+ years
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Why we love it:
Mastermind for Kids: Codebreaking Fun features adorable jungle animal pieces that turn logical thinking into an exciting game, making it a delightful way to spark curiosity and teamwork!
Calico Critters Sleepover Fun Set
The Calico Critters Stack N Play Beds Furniture Set brings sleepover fun to life! This engaging set, complete with rustic bunk beds and cozy accessories, encourages imaginative role play, fostering social skills and storytelling abilities in children. By integrating this interactive furniture into their Calico Critters environments, kids can explore real-life scenarios and enhance their problem-solving skills as they create delightful adventures with friends. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Calico Critters Sleepover Fun Set features rustic bunk beds and cozy accessories that spark endless adventures, helping kids weave stories while building friendships and lots of laughter.
Whirling Gear Fun for Little Minds
TOMY Gearation Refrigerator Magnets are a delightful way to spark creativity in children aged 3 and up. These vibrant, interlocking gear magnets not only engage little hands but also promote essential skills like fine motor development, problem-solving, and imaginative play. The dynamic spinning and turning motion captivates kids, making learning a joyful experience that kids and parents can enjoy together! 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Whirling Gear Fun for Little Minds features vibrant, interlocking gear magnets that turn playtime into an engaging learning experience, making creativity and problem-solving spin into action.
Creative Fun with Crayola Model Magic
Crayola Model Magic Variety Pack is the perfect addition to any creative playtime! With 14 vibrant colors, this air-dry clay alternative sparks imagination while providing kids an excellent opportunity to develop fine motor skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. As parents and educators, we love that it’s mess-free and quick-drying, allowing little artists to dive right into their projects without the hassle of traditional clay. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Creative Fun with Crayola Model Magic includes 14 vibrant colors that spark imagination while remaining mess-free, making crafting a delightful and hassle-free experience for little artists.
Alphabet Adventure with Match It! ABCs
The Learning Journey: Match It! - ABCs is an engaging way for our little ones to explore the world of letters! Perfect for curious minds aged 3 and up, this delightful puzzle set not only reinforces letter recognition but also supports fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Alphabet Adventure with Match It! ABCs features self-correcting puzzles that turn letter learning into a delightful and confidence-boosting journey for our little explorers.
Dive into Learning with Puzzles
The Melissa & Doug Underwater Ocean Floor Puzzle sparks curiosity and engagement among young learners. With 48 extra-thick cardboard pieces and stunning original artwork, this puzzle not only promotes hand-eye coordination but also enhances problem-solving skills as children piece together the vibrant marine world. Plus, the easy-clean surface ensures it stays fresh and ready for fun, making it a favorite choice for parents and educators alike. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Dive into Learning with Puzzles features 48 extra-thick cardboard pieces that transform problem-solving into a colorful underwater adventure every time it’s put together.
Explore Geometry with Solid Wooden Shapes
Learning Resources Geometric Solids is a fantastic way for our children to dive into the fascinating world of geometry! With 12 beautifully crafted wooden shapes, kids can touch, hold, and explore the concepts of pattern and volume in a tactile way that 2-D representations just can't match. This hands-on learning experience not only enhances spatial awareness but also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they manipulate and categorize shapes. 6+ years
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Why we love it:
Explore Geometry with Solid Wooden Shapes includes 12 beautifully crafted geometric solids that transform abstract concepts into tangible fun, making math feel like an exciting adventure!
Colorful Math Fun with Transparent Counters
Learning Resources Transparent Color Counting Chips offer an engaging way for our kids to dive into the world of math! With 250 vibrant, transparent counters, these delightful manipulatives make counting, sorting, and grouping not just educational but also incredibly fun. We love how they're perfect for games like bingo or enriching sensory bins, sparking creativity in learning while fostering essential skills in math. 5+ years
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Why we love it:
Colorful Math Fun with Transparent Counters includes 250 vibrant chips that transform learning into a colorful game, turning counting into a cheerful adventure every child can enjoy.
Bright Fun with Pattern Blocks
The Learning Resources Plastic Pattern Blocks set is an engaging way to introduce young children to the world of shapes and patterns. With 250 colorful pieces featuring hexagons, trapezoids, squares, triangles, parallelograms, and rhombuses, kids can explore geometry while having a blast. Perfect for classrooms or homeschooling, this set not only encourages creativity and fine motor skills but also lays a foundation for critical STEM concepts. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Bright Fun with Pattern Blocks includes 250 colorful pieces that encourage kids to explore shapes and patterns, turning every playtime into a mini geometry lesson.
Giant Soft Cubes for Math Fun
Learning Resources Giant Soft Cubes - Numerals are the perfect introduction to math for our little ones! These oversized foam dice invite kids to engage in number games and probability experiments in a fun and dynamic way. They’re quiet, easy to handle, and designed specifically for young hands, making learning math concepts enjoyable and stress-free. PreK-2
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Why we love it:
Giant Soft Cubes for Math Fun invite kids to engage in dynamic number games, making math feel less like a chore and more like a playful adventure in learning.
Engaging Jumbo Magnetic Numbers Set
The Learning Resources Jumbo Magnetic Numbers set is a fantastic tool for sparking joy in early math learning! Perfect for little hands, these brightly colored, oversized numbers help children ages 3 and up master number recognition, counting, and basic arithmetic. Imagine your child confidently practicing math concepts right on the fridge or whiteboard, making learning a part of everyday life. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Engaging Jumbo Magnetic Numbers Set features bright, oversized numbers that turn your fridge into a fun math playground, making those math concepts feel less like work and more like play.
Hundreds Number Board: Fun Numerical Adventures
Learning Resources Hundreds Number Board is the perfect gateway to engaging math adventures! Designed for young learners, this colorful board introduces number patterns, sequencing, and place value in a playful, interactive manner. With 100 numbered tiles and 50 transparent tiles for mixing and matching, kids can explore mathematical concepts while enhancing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 5+ years
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Why we love it:
Hundreds Number Board features 100 colorful numbered tiles that turn math into a fun exploration, making learning about numbers feel like an exciting adventure rather than a chore.
Master Time with Big Time Learning Clock
Big Time Learning Clock is the perfect tool for nurturing your child's understanding of time! As fellow parents and educators, we know how important it is for children to grasp fundamental math skills while having fun. This interactive clock encourages basic math development through engaging activities, helping little learners add and subtract hours effortlessly. 5+ years
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Why we love it:
Master Time with Big Time Learning Clock features color-coded hands to make learning to tell time both fun and visually engaging, turning every minute into a mini adventure.
Revell Visible V8 Engine Model Kit
Revell 85-8883 Visible V8 Engine Model Kit is a thrilling journey into the world of engineering and mechanics for both kids and adults! With 314 intricately crafted pieces, this model not only delights in its assembly but also teaches valuable skills such as problem-solving, patience, and fine motor coordination. As learners hand-crank the engine to see the pistons move, they'll experience firsthand the magic of mechanics and gain a deeper appreciation for how things work. 13+ years
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Why we love it:
Revell Visible V8 Engine Model Kit includes 314 intricately crafted pieces that transform assembly into a hands-on lesson about mechanics, sparking curiosity and creativity in young builders.
Pressman Tic Tac Toe Fun for Everyone
Pressman Tic Tac Toe is the perfect way to engage our children in strategic thinking and problem-solving! This classic game of X's and O's is not just about having fun during game night; it helps kids develop critical skills like turn-taking, planning, and logic in a playful manner. With oversized pieces that are easy for little hands to grasp, it’s accessible for players ages 6 and up, making it a wonderful addition to our game collection. 6+ years
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Why we love it:
Pressman Tic Tac Toe Fun for Everyone features oversized pieces that are easy for little hands to grasp, making game night a playful way to develop critical thinking skills.
Bicycle Jumbo Index Playing Cards Fun
Springbok Bicycle Poker Size Jumbo Index Playing Cards are the perfect tool for sparking joy and creativity in our children's playtime! These premium quality cards, made in the USA, are not just for the traditional card games we love; they unlock essential skills like critical thinking, counting, and social interaction. With their classic Bicycle Rider Back design in bright colors, they encourage imaginative scenarios and learning through play. 4+ years
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Why we love it:
Bicycle Jumbo Index Playing Cards feature a classic design that transforms family game night into a fun-filled adventure while boosting skills that last a lifetime.
Magnetic Action Crossing: Fun & Learning!
BRIO World 33750 - Magnetic Action Crossing is an exciting addition to any wooden train set! We find that this interactive toy enhances kids' hand-eye coordination while they engage in creative play. As trains approach, the magical barriers lower automatically, keeping our little ones on their toes and fueling their imagination! 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Magnetic Action Crossing features automatic barriers that engage kids' imaginations while they enhance hand-eye coordination—it's like a mini traffic control tower for their train adventures!
Bright & Engaging Counting Adventure
The Melissa & Doug Abacus is a classic wooden educational counting toy that transforms early math learning into a delightful experience! With 100 colorful beads and eight extension activities, children can explore counting, logical thinking, and the foundational skills necessary for future math success. This beautifully crafted abacus not only captivates young minds but also provides parents and educators with a screen-free tool to foster essential cognitive development. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Bright & Engaging Counting Adventure features 100 colorful beads that transform learning math into a captivating game, making it a wonderful screen-free way to build essential skills.
ThinkFun Fifteen Puzzle: A Brainy Challenge
ThinkFun Fifteen Puzzle turns problem-solving into a thrilling adventure! As parents and educators, we adore how this classic game stimulates critical thinking and sharpens spatial reasoning skills in our kids. It’s perfect for on-the-go fun, fitting easily into our bags for travel, and makes for an engaging tool in the classroom. 8 to adult
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ThinkFun Fifteen Puzzle is a compact travel game that turns critical thinking into a family bonding experience, making every quest for the right number a learning adventure!