Christmas gifts for a brother who does puzzles under $25
Melissa & Doug
Dinosaurs Chunky Puzzle, 7 Pieces
$12.99 at Melissa & Doug
Thick dinosaur pieces that stand up on their own once they are out, so the puzzle becomes a toy the moment it is finished.
Seen at Melissa & Doug, 30 Aug 2026
Thames and Kosmos
EXIT: The Cursed Labyrinth
$17.95 at Thames and Kosmos
An escape room in a box, played once by a group who are allowed to cut up and write on the components.
Seen at Thames and Kosmos, 30 Aug 2026
Rubik's
Rubik’s Cube Coach Cube (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Named by TODAY, 2026.
Checked 31 Aug 2026
Melissa & Doug
First Shapes Jumbo Peg Puzzle (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
A jumbo wooden peg puzzle of basic shapes, sized for toddlers ages 2 to 4.
Seen at Amazon, 3 Sep 2026
Crocodile Creek
50 Piece Flat House Puzzle, Fire House
$15.99 at Crocodile Creek
A puzzle cut into the shape of the fire station it shows, so the finished thing looks like something rather than a rectangle.
Seen at Crocodile Creek, 30 Aug 2026
Mudpuppy
Capybara Pool Day 500 Piece Puzzle
$16.99 at Mudpuppy
Five hundred pieces is a weekend for a ten year old rather than a month, and the capybaras do the rest.
Seen at Mudpuppy, 30 Aug 2026
Rubik's
Pulse Cube (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Named by Good Housekeeping, 2026.
Checked 31 Aug 2026
Crocodile Creek
50 Piece HoloPuzzle, Dinosaurs
$15.99 at Crocodile Creek
Fifty pieces with a holographic shine, hard enough to be worth doing and short enough to finish in one sitting.
Seen at Crocodile Creek, 30 Aug 2026