Amaze 'n' Place and
Level of difficulty of Puzzles

Allocating a level of difficulty of a puzzle is an extremely inexact science.  This is due to the variation in the types of puzzles and the different types of human intelligence.  Quite often this isn’t even age related as puzzles are a great leveller.  A child will often see the simple solution while an adult could overlook the obvious as they think the solution is more complicated.

All brains work differently and have various strengths and weaknesses.  Some people are good with spatial puzzles while others clever at logic puzzles.  Some can solve string puzzles while others prefer more solid ones.

This means that I may find a puzzle challenging and give it a rating of difficult while you may find it easy – and vice versa.

A perfect example is the Rubik’s Cube – still one of the most popular puzzles.  I’m not good at it and would rate it at least 9 out of 10.  However, we have people who can solve it in the time it takes to type this sentence.  Give the same person a nail or string puzzle that I find easy and they may well be stumped. Consequently any rating or age suggestion is only a very rough indication.

In Jigsaws, larger pieces are best for small hands and wooden pieces are more robust than cardboard.  Children can lose interest in a complex puzzle, so start them on a relatively easy one to build their confidence.

Up to about 25 pieces is suitable for a 3 year old although they will be probably need the help of an adult.

Most 6 year olds could do a 100 piece puzzle and 500 piece would suit anyone over 12.  Again, this will depend on the skill and patience of the individual.

The staff at Amaze ‘n’ Place will do their best to give some indication of difficulty, but remember this is very subjective.