Toddler 2yrs 5 months completing puzzles for 3 yrs and over

[MummyPenguin]

Just a query, as I'm quite a way out of toddlerhood now, as my DC are older, but my Nephew is 2 yrs and 5 mths and competently completes 35 piece puzzles on his own aimed at older children (3 yrs and over.) He and his Brother are/were always very 'into' puzzles. (My DC weren't.)

So, is this not so unusual for a toddler who's into puzzles or does it mean (as I suspect my Sister thinks) that he's unusually bright?

What do you think?

[ChasingSquirrels]

I think if they LIKE puzzles then it isn't unusual, because they spend time doing them and get better at them.
ds1 at 2.5 used to do 3+ puzzles, he now has other interests and doesn't do puzzles at all.

[controlfreaky2]

oooooh. v unusually advanced.
tell her to put his name down for oxbridge place now.

[snowleopard]

He sounds kind of normal to me - after all that's only a few months away from the intended age so probably within normal range. Plus a lot of puzzles say for 3 years and over because of small parts, not because smaller children can't manage them. Also puzzles is one of those classic areas where some children love them and do them very well, and others can't be bothered with them or grasp them at all, but it's not necessarily an indicator of intelligence.

[mistlethrush]

My 2.6 yo does this too. He has got one box that has a 6 piece, 9 piece, 12 piece and 24 piece and he can sort them all out separately and do them all on his own - has been able to do this for some time. Working up in numbers, but currently supply leaps from 24 pieces to 48 rather small pieces which is just a bit too far to go at the moment. He could recognise the first letter of his name at 20 months. Don't know whether either is particularly good....

[pagwatch]

Almost certainly NOT relevant but just reminds me......
My son could do puzzles brilliantly as a toddler.He could do them when they were upside down - so he could actually identify the pattern without the clues from the picture.
My mother used to tell her friends and make him perform this feat for friends and neighbours .

He has learning difficulties and has severe ASD.

Puzzles are a sign of visual ability but not sure of much else.

[MummyPenguin]

Thanks for the responses, was just curious to see what others think, as we've hardly ever had a puzzle in the house as mine just weren't into them at all.

Funnily enough controlfreaky, his dad went to Oxford...

[funnypeculiar]

um, not that unusual ime - ds was never into puzzles but a lot of his mates were doing 3 + ones at this age
(pagwatch - my mates ds was a puzzle genius too,& completing puzzles for 5/6 yrs + at about this age - he's currently being explored for autism too)

[TwigorTreat]

DS used to do this too

he is not unusually bright but he is bright

I think a lot of the time the over 3 is because the manufacturer can't be bothered getting the safe for under 3's certificate

[castlesintheair]

Sign of good spatial awareness and memory, not necessarily an indicator of being bright.

[christywhisty]

hen my DD burnt her hand when she was 2.3 she had to have it heavily bandaged for a while. For some reason (probably because she could do them one handed) she became obsessed with puzzles and went from never doing a puzzle to doing age 5 plus (small 50 pieces) in about 3 weeks. I was having to haunt all the charity shops searching for new puzzles for her.
This lasted for a few months and then she wasn't bothered any more and hasn't really been interested since.

[LIZS]

dd could do 60 odd pieces by 3. Always felt the age guides weren't that accurate, more about motivation, spatial recognition and dexterity. She's reasonably bright but as the youngest in her year doesn't stand out exceptionally amongst her peer group (Year 2), just keeps up well .

[beautifuldays]

my ds is 3.4 and quite happily does 70 peice puzzles - he has always been a puzzle-a-holic and used to do 2 piece puzzles easily when he was 16 months old. i think it's a boy trait - ime boys are better at puzzles than girls of a similar age, but it may just be that they enjoy doing them more.

i think its like anything else, if they practice and do something a lot, they get really good at it, rather than some indication of intellegence. ds does love maths tho - can add up/take away - i didn't teach him, he taught himself. although you lot have got me worrying that he's autistic now!

[christywhisty]

DD's is now 10 and good at maths. She is also very good at Non Verbal Reasoning too.

[lemonaid]

"For 3 yrs and over" generally means "hasn't passed all the extra rigorous safety tests that you need to do before you can market something to the under-3s" rather than "if you are under 3 you'll need to be a genius to play with this".

I think doing 35-piece puzzles is unusual for a "typical" 2.5yo, but not necessarily for a 2.5yo who is "into" puzzles in general. DS (2.8) couldn't do this, but he's not madly keen on puzzles.

[ScaryScaryNight]

When my 5 year old was 2 years and 3 months he was doing 30 piece puzzles, so I tried him on 60 pieces and he managed that just fine. In fact, he went through puzzles with such a speed he got bored with them very easily, and I now have a mega collection of puzzles. (which his brother has very little interest in)

He also used to do them upside down (picture down and grey side facing him), and sometimes turned 180 degree angle so the motive was upside down, just for variety.

He is a clever boy, intelligent, but I will be surprised if he is G&T.

[handlemecarefully]

I sometimes struggle with 35 piece puzzles (truly!) and I am 39. But then I am unusually vacant at times

[Blueblob]

I think if they like puzzles then it's not unusual. My youngest son has been able to do puzzles for 3 and 4 + since he was 2. My elder son in Year 2 had no interest in puzzles at all. I enjoy having a son who likes puzzles because it's an easy parent friendly activity Rainy day and we can sit at the table whilst I drink tea. At the same age the other one would want to indulge in some sort of experiment that involved lots of parental effort.