Foam Puzzles

Sweet Pea is 31 months old.

From: We got this set of 4 foam puzzles as a gift from Sweet Pea’s grandma.

Material:

• Foam Puzzles  (I couldn’t find the exact set that we were given.  Here is a link to an uppercase and lowercase puzzle that Carissa from 1+1+1=1 recommends, plus a number set and shape ones.)

Observations: These foam puzzles are perfect for Sweet Pea.  I’ve posted about having some trouble with puzzles before, so I was very happy to find some good puzzles for Sweet Pea.   They are thick enough that the pieces fit into the puzzle with a satisfying “thunk”.

While she can definitely work these puzzles on her own, Sweet Pea enjoys taking them apart more than she likes putting them back together.   Clean-up always takes me a bit, so I try to limit her to one puzzle at a time.  I don’t want to force her to finish a puzzle at her age, so when she is done, I usually have her bring me the remaining pieces while I put them in.  Sometimes I will ask her to pick up the letter “B” or number “3” too, so I think that helps with learning her numbers and letters.

We really love these puzzles.  I would highly recommend some sort of foam puzzles for this age group.

Notes from the Trenches: Sweet Pea really likes the feel of the foam between her teeth.  Several times I have had to tell her, “Not in your mouth!”   I worry that a tot could bite off a piece of the foam and choke on it.

Rating: 3 Stars * (Fun, Easy, Independent)