As a parent, wading through all the options for toys can feel endless.

And on top of all the choices, you’re left wondering “Is this toy even good for my child?”

The big toy manufacturers market all their products as “best for baby.”

But you know that they can’t all truly be the best, right.

Putting the right toys in front of your children as early as possible is so important. Research [1] shows that positive attention skills in infants can predict cognitive success at two, three, and four years old.

Learning doesn’t start in preschool.

Learning starts as soon as you bring your baby home.

It can feel so overwhelming to pick toys that foster development. Let me show you one toy that checks so many developmental boxes.

The name puzzle.

The list of benefits of puzzles for child development goes on and on. And the personalization of a child’s name in the puzzle can amplify those benefits.

A name puzzle can help with:

• Letter recognition
• Naming and comparing colors
• Recognizing and spelling their name
• Developing fine motor skills
• Building self-esteem

1.Letter Recognition

Read to your babies. Read to your kids. Read. Read. Read.

As a parent, you’ve heard this over and over.

You know that reading is good. But how can you stimulate your baby beyond reading?

Exposure to letters and words before the age of two can stimulate language development [2]. It can even help their reading comprehension skills once they start school.

But a child needs to show interest in the subject matter for language development to be successful.

This means finding activities and books that are about dinosaurs or unicorns or whatever their favorite thing is that week. Or basing learning activities around something personal to them. You know where I’m going with this…their name!

A name puzzle can add a personal aspect that makes learning fun. Your child will want to learn those letters because they are “their letters.”

2. Color Recognition

“If only we could all see the world through the eyes of a child.”

We’ve all heard this saying in some form over the years. But did you know that there’s some real truth to that lofty ideal?

Color perception peaks around the age of 14 [3]. So children truly do see more color in the world than adults do.

Naming colors is a skill that can be mastered early in childhood.

And you don’t have to stop at red, green, yellow, and blue. Your child is capable of so much more! Some puzzle options allow exposure to new, non-primary colors. A pastel option could provide the opportunity for discussion about which colors are lighter and which are darker.

“Does this color have a different name than just ‘blue’?” Your child could be naming turquoise, teal, and sky blue before you know it.

You can watch the skill of color recognition transform from this boring test of knowledge into a way to explore and be creative.

3.Learning Their Name

A child’s working memory is grown throughout childhood and used throughout life [4]. The earlier you start and the more you practice, the better your working memory is.

Children’s first exposure to memory is through their routines and familiar people in their lives.

Then they remember their favorite foods and experiences. They start responding to their name when it’s called out. As language development happens, they memorize and mimic the sounds that animals and other objects make.

And then...you guessed it. They learn to state facts about themselves. “I’m Brian. I’m two.”

Now they can learn what their name looks like and what letters are in it. Even a puzzle with just their first name starts a conversation about what their first, middle, and last name is. And then...

“What is Mommy and Daddy’s name?

What about brother and sister?

What letters are in their names?

How are those letters different?

Are there any letters that are the same?”

Their memory can then expand beyond themselves. They can learn, memorize, and know facts about the people around them.

A simple toy can start a discussion that has endless learning opportunities.

4. Fine Motor Skills

Fitting various shaped pieces into their place requires fine motor skills. Little fingers have to learn to hold the pieces in the right way. They learn to wiggle and twist until the pieces slide into the right spot.

Fine motor skills can also be developed as a child tries to get the piece out of the puzzle. Grabbing the little lip requires grip strength and hand-eye coordination.

Name puzzles with pegs can provide exposure to fine motor skills for even younger children who haven’t yet developed their pincher grasp.

Pegged puzzle pieces are ideal for older babies and young toddlers. The pegs provide a place that can be grabbed with the whole hand.

Toddlers are still learning how to use just their fingers to pick things up. Using their whole hand is natural while their finger muscles are still growing and developing.

Parents will see the wheels turning their heads as they figure out where the pieces fit and how to get them back in the puzzle. Toddlers are not too young to get started on a name puzzle!

5. Self-Esteem

“I did it!”

That high-pitched voice, full of confidence, is one of the most beautiful sounds to a parent.

A simple puzzle put together can create this feeling. But a name puzzle provides more than one way to ride the high of this feeling of accomplishment.

A child could name each letter of the puzzle — I did it!

He could tell you what each color is — I did it!

She could tell you what her whole name is — I did it!

Not only are these tasks building needed academic skills, but they’re also building their sense of self.



They know that they are capable of. They are smart. They are great learners.

Positive self-esteem in early childhood has been linked to more positive mental health later in life [5]. So, self-esteem continues to serve a child well as they grow up.

We also know that children under seven gain self-esteem through the completion of tasks [6]. That’s why showing off their newfound skills with their puzzle is so beneficial. Each time they complete the puzzle, each new color they learn, each new letter they can name, they build their self-confidence.

Now you know all the benefits of a name puzzle.

It’s not just another toy.

It’s not just another thing to fill the toy room.

This is an heirloom chock-full of developmental and learning opportunities.

Don’t let your babe miss out on all the fun and growth to be had with this toy!