We’ve had Lauri puzzles and toys in our house ever since our oldest child was very small. I love them because they are durable, very educational, easily washed, and because Lauri will replace lost pieces for just a small fee. My children love the child-friendly themes, bright colors, and wonderfully soft and thick crepe rubber pieces. This Count My Fingers Early Learning Puzzle is suitable for any child about 3 years old or older.

This puzzle comes in a sturdy plastic storage tray. The tray has a cardboard insert with an outline pattern of the pieces. Younger children can follow the outline, then the insert can be removed when they are ready for a bigger challenge. The unique, snug fitting crepe-rubber pieces are very appealing to children and provide a fantastic fine-motor challenge beyond wooden puzzles whose pieces can be simply dropped in place. (They are also VERY quiet, making them suitable for use almost anywhere!)

This particular puzzle is a favorite of mine because it incorporates several learning opportunities in addition to the ones above. The repetition provided by doing the puzzle over and over will help cement the concepts of right and left, while the numbers on the fingers lend themselves to both counting and numeral recognition. When you receive this puzzle, take a moment to show your child how to match his hands to the pictures by placing them palm-up over the puzzle so that he will receive maximum reinforcement of the right/left concept.