
Ribbon-cut pieces are relatively square with gaps or tabs on each of the four sides. Ribbon-cut jigsaw puzzles are the most common type. Jigsaw puzzles come in two main types: ribbon cut and random cut. Keep in mind that every time you double the number of puzzle pieces, you are quadrupling its difficulty. You may want to start out with a 500- or 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and then move up or down from there. Your child may be ready for more advanced puzzles sooner than the ages listed here, but this should give you some idea of where to begin.Īs an adult, you can choose a jigsaw puzzle with as many pieces as you like. If you’re choosing a jigsaw puzzle for a child, here are some general guidelines to follow in order to choose a puzzle that will pose a fun challenge:Īges 2 to 3: Choose a jigsaw puzzle with 30 pieces or less.Īges 4 to 5: Choose a jigsaw puzzle with 30 to 60 pieces.Īges 6 to 7: Choose a jigsaw puzzle with 60 to 100 pieces.Īges 8 to 10: Choose a jigsaw puzzle with 100 to 300 pieces.Īges 10+: Choose a jigsaw puzzle with 300+ pieces. Jigsaw puzzles can have less than 10 pieces or more than 5,000, so there’s plenty of options for you to choose from. The more pieces a jigsaw puzzle has, the more challenging it will be to solve. There are several factors to consider when choosing your jigsaw puzzle’s degree of difficulty, including the number of pieces, the puzzle cut, and the image itself. A jigsaw puzzle should hold up to years of use. If your jigsaw puzzle has tabs to fit the individual pieces together, the tabs should fit snugly into the next piece so you can move sections without the puzzle falling apart.Ĭonstruction quality is usually the same across a brand, so once you find a brand that you like, you can feel confident that the brand’s other puzzles will also be well made.

The pieces shouldn’t bend or break apart, except along the precut lines.

Plus, it doesn’t look nearly as good when it’s finished.Ī good jigsaw puzzle should be made of a thick, high-quality puzzle board with the image firmly adhered to the surface.

After all, it’s much more difficult to solve a puzzle when the picture is peeling off. No one wants a jigsaw puzzle that’s going to fall apart with too much use. Wooden jigsaw puzzles, which are cut by hand, do still exist, but they are usually much more expensive. Most jigsaw puzzles are mounted on puzzle board and cut by a machine.
