Puzzles are an important part of childhood helping children to develop their fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, and even logical thinking. ABC puzzles made of foam have the added benefit of helping toddlers and preschoolers learn and recognize the letters of the alphabet and are a texture that children love.
We are pleased to present you with this list of some of the best and most highly rated alphabet foam puzzles available.
Along with our list of the best alphabet foam puzzles we’ve also included a brief buying guide at the end to help you with your gift shopping!
Our List of the Best Alphabet Foam Puzzles
Tadpoles ABC Foam Floor Mat
Summary
This floor mat foam letter puzzle is large measuring 6 foot by 6 foot when completed. The mat consists of 36 -12 inch puzzle pieces (the 26 letters of the alphabet and numbers 0 through 9). Along with 24 border pieces. Each foam piece is non toxic and easy to wipe clean.
Pros
- Easy to put together
- Thick enough to provide good padding
Cons
- Letters can be removed from inside the squares
Recommended Age
This can work well for children 6 months and older
What Makes this Stand Out?
This foam alphabet puzzle is great as a playmat and then as the child becomes older they can actually assemble the mat as a giant puzzle. In addition, the letters themselves can be removed so the letters can be used to practice beginning spelling.
Pete’s Choice Alphabet Puzzle Mat
Summary
This 26 piece foam puzzle is designed to be put together to work as a floor mat to cushion small children as they play. This puzzle is thicker than most alphabet foam letter mats providing more cushioning for younger children. As your child grows this mat can be used as a floor size puzzle or different pieces can be put together to create words or even shapes.
Pros
- Brightly colored squares brightens up child’s room or nursery
- Made with non toxic materials
Cons
- Some users feel the pieces don’t go together well
Recommended Age
What Makes This Stand Out
The thickness of this provides more cushioning that most other foam puzzle mats and the colors are bright and cheerful.
Sesame Street Foam Floor Puzzle
Summary
This ABC foam puzzle comes with 27 pieces with each piece measuring 4 inches by 4 inches. Each piece also includes a letter of the alphabet and a picture. Since the pieces fit together in any order this puzzle can be used for letter recognition, beginning reading and spelling and making cubes.
Pros
- Kids who are Sesame Street fans are drawn to this puzzle
- The pieces fit together in any order so younger children can fit pieces together
Cons
- Some people thought this was a playmat
Recommended Age
Best suited for children 2 years old and up
What Makes This Stand Out?
This floor puzzle is easy to put together, contains some of young children’s favorite characters, and is brightly colored making it a fun puzzle.
Foam Bath Toys Learning Puzzles
Summary
This foam bath toy puzzle set comes with 26 individual animal and letter puzzles. Each puzzle features an animal in a boat, with a removable letter. The entire puzzle can be dampened and will stick to the bathtub or can be played with on a table or floor.
Pros
- Great for improving fine motor skills
- Helps children learn the letters of the alphabet, reading and spelling
Cons
- Some of the animals are unique
Recommended Age
These puzzles are best suited to kids ages 3 years and up
What Makes This Stand Out?
This puzzle set offers a lot of opportunities for learning for toddlers. They can learn colors, the names of animals, the letters of the alphabet, beginning reading and spelling as well as improve their fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.
ABC Puzzle Play Mat
Summary
This one forms a large play mat that cushions young children at play. The mat can be assembled for play, used as a large floor puzzle, or be used as individual squares for letter and number recognition. Children can also make blocks (cubes) from these puzzle squares making for more fun play.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Nice colors
Cons
- Some users find that this has strong fumes coming off it
Recommended Age
6 months old and up
What Makes This Stand Out?
This is colorful and can be used in a variety of ways. Once that infant becomes a toddler, the mat can be used to teach the child letter recognition and help them develop their fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.
Premium Educational Letter Animal Bathtub Puzzles
Summary
These ABC animal bath tub foam puzzles are an open toy that provides a child many ways to use them both inside and outside of the bathtub. These small puzzles can be used by young toddlers to learn color recognition and animal names as well as the letters of the alphabet, hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Pros
- Tons of learning opportunities
- Makes bath time more fun
Cons
- Some of the animals are difficult to recognize
Recommended Age
These letter animal puzzles are best suited to children 2 years and up
What Makes This Stand Out?
This is a great educational learning set that is still fun for toddlers and preschoolers. There are a number of different ways that this set of bath tub animal puzzles can be used, which keeps them interesting for a longer period of time.
Baby Loovi Non Toxic Puzzle Mat
Summary
This 36 piece foam mat comes with 36 pieces made up of colorful letters and numbers. The mat not only provides a cushion for crawling infants and beginner walkers, but also can be used to create words, numbers and even 3D shapes
Pros
- The actual letters come out of the square and can be put right back in
- Variety of uses
Cons
- High price
Recommended Age
This mat is suited for children 2 years and up
What Makes This Stand Out?
This foam puzzle mat will brighten up any child’s play area and can be used in a number of different ways.
Creative Baby 9 Piece Interactive Play Mat Puzzle
Summary
This alphabet foam puzzle has just 9 pieces and when put together measures 16 ½ inches by 16 ½ inches and is 3 ½ inches thick. The mat also has pictures of animals as well as Xylophone graphics to introduce the child to colors.
Pros
- Durable
- Large pieces are easy for toddlers to put together
Cons
- Paint may flake
Recommended Age
What Makes This Stand Out?
The large puzzle piece sizes combined with the fact that once put together this play mat doesn’t pull apart easily when kids roll around or walk it makes it a great play mat.
Buyers Guide to the Best Alaphabet Foam Puzzles
Size Does Matter
Before shopping for a foam alphabet puzzle you need to realize that the largest selection of these puzzles are actually floor mat puzzles. If you are looking for a regular size puzzle made of foam to help your child learn their ABCs then your choices are going to be far more limited. However, keep in mind that larger floor puzzles can often be used to make 3D cubes and blocks that the toddler can also play with.
Put Safety First
Although many of these foam puzzles state that they are non-toxic some reviews do state that certain ones of these play mats have strong fumes that may not be good for your child to breathe in. Like with any other toy you purchase for your child, make sure that you feel comfortable that this toy is safe for your little one.
Versatility
Many of these puzzles are designed to provide your child with multiple opportunities of learning and many different ways to use or play with them. Some can be used in the bathtub, others are like having two puzzles in one because the squares can be put together and then the individual letters can be put in the proper space. They can also be used as individual flashcards or to build 3D objects. The more versatile the toy the more use your child will get out of it.
Conclusion to the Best ABC Foam Puzzles
We hope this buyers guide will help you to find the very best alaphabet foam puzzle that is not only fun but highly educational for your child.
