Magnetic Jigsaw Puzzle Book – Riding Stables, 2 x 20 Pieces

Open the book and rebuild two riding scenes

Closed, the book slips into a bag: a rigid cardboard cover, a red cloth spine, 17.3 x 17.3 x 1.2 cm. Your child opens it and unfolds three panels. On the left, a young rider in a striped top adjusts the halter of a chestnut pony in front of its stable. On the right, she clears a red and blue pole. Each of these two pictures is a jigsaw of 20 pieces.

The pieces are magnetic: set down on the panel, they stay there. Because every piece of this magnetic jigsaw puzzle holds to the page, a child can build a scene on their lap or on the train without everything sliding off. That turns a magnetic book into one of the more practical travel games for kids, the kind that comes out in a waiting room as easily as at the kitchen table.

What your child practises, piece by piece

Picking up a flat piece, turning it to find the right way round, then fitting it against its neighbours: this precise grip between thumb and forefinger works on fine motor skills. It also takes careful looking. The pony's blonde mane or the stripes on the rider's top help your child work out where each piece belongs.

A piece in the wrong place will not lock in, and the picture does not join up, so your child sees without help that it belongs somewhere else. The Montessori approach calls this the control of error: the puzzle itself shows whether a piece is right, and no adult needs to step in.

How to introduce the magnetic jigsaw puzzle the first time

Start with the stable scene, book open flat on a table. Take out just a few edge pieces and let your child put them back: they grasp the idea without getting discouraged. Avoid tipping out both puzzles at once, as 40 mixed pieces are hard to sort at 3. Once your child completes a scene alone, mix the two and ask them to sort the pieces by picture first, stable on one side, show jump on the other.

The middle panel has no pieces at all. It shows a bay horse, a dappled mare with her foal, a rabbit, a mole and a butterfly. This is the page that turns a horse puzzle into a book to talk about: point to each animal and let your child name it. More toys for animal lovers are in our Animal Kingdom collection.

As your child grows, and looking after the book

At 3, an adult often helps to get started, finding the corners and straight edges together. At 4, the jigsaws go faster, and your child can tell the story of each rebuilt scene: the pony being got ready, then the jump. The second scene is there when the first becomes easy, so this magnetic jigsaw puzzle stays in use longer than a single picture would.

After each session, put every piece back on its panel so none goes astray, and keep the book dry: the cover is cardboard and does not like water. A dry cloth is enough to wipe it.

How it compares with other puzzles

Next to an inset puzzle, where each shape drops into its own hole, the pieces of a magnetic jigsaw puzzle interlock with one another, which is a step up. Next to a boxed 20-piece jigsaw, the pieces stay on the page and the whole thing travels like a picture book. Unlike horse jigsaw puzzles sold loose in a box, there is no lid to lose and no tray to balance on a knee.

Among magnetic puzzles for kids, this one has a precise theme: life at a riding stables, from grooming to show jumping. Small and flat, it also fits among equestrian stocking fillers for a pony-mad child. Other shapes, themes and piece counts are waiting in our jigsaw puzzles.

Questions parents ask

What age is this magnetic jigsaw puzzle for?

It is for children from 3 years, the age shown on the cover. The first few times, show your child how to look for the edge pieces first.

Do the magnetic pieces stay put on a car journey?

Yes. They cling to the panels and do not fall off when the book moves, so it can be played with in the car, on the train or in a waiting room.

How many pieces are in the book?

This magnetic puzzle book holds two jigsaws of 20 pieces each, so 40 pieces in all, plus a central picture without pieces.

Specifications

• Age: from 3 years
• Dimensions (book closed): 17.3 x 17.3 x 1.2 cm
• Contents: 1 three-panel book, 2 magnetic jigsaws of 20 pieces (40 pieces), 1 central picture
• Theme: riding stables (stable, show jumping, meadow)
• Cover: rigid cardboard with cloth spine
• Brand: Goki, reference 57383
• Guarantee: 2 years