Best Learning Puzzles, Games and Toys

I am trained to be a teacher, but as my kids arrived, I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. The teacher in me remains, and I love finding engaging ways to help my kids love to grow in knowledge. WE are also a gaming family who has a lot of fun learning and growing through engaging and challenging games. Today I wanted to bring you the best learning puzzles, games and toys that we love. I wanted to bring you a handful of products that we have actual experience within our home. In other words, these are “kid tested and mother approved.”

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Best Learning, Games and Puzzles for Kids

The Learning Journey Puzzle Doubles Giant ABC & 123 Train Floor Puzzle – This giant floor puzzles has been done over and over again in our home. It teaches letters and numbers, and my kids love it. The letters go in alphabetical order, and the train carries a circus animal or item that corresponds with the letter sound. The number train has the numbers represented by dots on the body of the train, a written number and the number of creatures being carried by the train. Therefore, each train car is a three piece puzzle. Then you attach the cars in number order.

The Learning Journey Match It! Spelling – This has been a great way for my kids to learn to put sounds together. This was one of those great finds from the Costco book and puzzle section. My kids all continue to enjoy putting these together.

ABC Robo Alpha bot 26 pieces BOX (japan import) – This has to be one of my son’s favorite toys. I think they are absolutely fabulous too. We have played out letter grab game for extra learning. I like to be intentional about teaching letters with these. Although I have an Amazon link here, you can also find them for less expensive at Lakeshore Learning.

Magnetic Spinning Gears – Your little engineer will love working on these magnetic spinning gears. These have kept my little ones really busy while I make dinner. It’s fun to watch their little minds create new gear combinations to spin.

Counting Skills Magnetic Maze – I helped the children’s program at our church pick out a bunch of toy ideas for our toddler room. I chose something like the one pictured above that the kids always love. The one here works on numbers, but I’ve also seen ones specific to color sorting.

Learning Wrap-ups, Addition Wrap-Ups – We have these wrap-ups as a really fun way to work on math skills. I had them when I was little and also used them in tutoring. They have them for addition, subtraction, multiplication and devision.

Wipe Clean Workbook Uppercase Alphabet – My kids love using wipe boards. This wipe clean workbook has the wipe pens that the kids love but the learning benefits that I love. There are a variety of ways to practice in this great book.

DUPLO LEGO Ville 10525 Big Farm – I had to add this in because we recently received it from LEGO, and my kids love it. It teaches kids the basics of following step by step visual instructions. I not only see that as a learning opportunity, but it provides loads of opportunity for creative play after construction is complete.  I have a fun post about how to learn with DUPLO LEGOS that you should check out too.

Qwirkle –  Qwirkle is a newer game for us, bought this Christmas. My oldest girls are just getting the hang of it. It’s one of those games that adults really enjoy too. My husband and I played it without the kids on our recent anniversary trip. It’s a great way to teach problem solving skills with kids.

Kanoodle – Kanoodle is a fun puzzle activity my husband and I discovered pre-children. It is a visual puzzle games that is challenge but a lot super entertaining and engaging. I know why it gets such high rating on Amazon. It’s a great product.

What would you add to this collection? I’m always wanting to know about new learning games for my own kids.