Kids Puzzle Games

Kids puzzles bring together jigsaws, memory games and spot-the-difference games. There are more than 250, with images of Mario, Sonic, SpongeBob, unicorns and animals. They're free and open in your browser, with nothing to download.

What you'll find

• Jigsaws: Super Mario Jigsaw Puzzle, Sonic Jigsaw, Cute Unicorn Jigsaw, SpongeBob Winter Puzzle or Electric Cars Jigsaw.
• Memory: Cute Unicorn Memory, Memory Booster Animals or Christmas Trucks Memory.
• Spot the difference: Spot the Difference Animals, Find Seven Differences Animals, Pixelcraft Differences or Kids Photo Differences.
• Other challenges: Number Maze, ABCs of Halloween or Color Roll 3D.

How each type works

In a jigsaw, you drag the pieces until the picture is complete. In a memory game, you flip cards two at a time and have to find the matching pairs. In a spot-the-difference game, you compare two nearly identical images and click on whatever doesn't match. All three make sense right away, but each one works on something different: patience for fitting pieces, remembering positions, or noticing details.

For parents

These are among the easiest games to choose for the early years, because there's almost no reading and no rush. For a very small child, a jigsaw with few pieces or an animal memory game is a good start. Once they've got that down, raise the difficulty a little at a time, with more pieces or smaller differences. Check, too, that they like the theme: a Sonic or unicorn jigsaw hooks them more than a random one.

Tips

In a jigsaw, start with the edge pieces and the most recognizable colors. In memory games, try to remember where each card is before you flip another. In spot-the-difference games, scan by areas, from top to bottom, instead of jumping around the picture.