For a hand-picked selection of brain teasers across easy, medium and f…

Fast games are The Happy Puzzle Company UK backbone of the evening. Card and tile games such as Flip 7 and Mobi play in a few minutes, so a child who loses a round is straight back in for the next one. Dexterity and throwing games like Tossit get everyone up and moving, which helps if the little ones have been sitting still for a while. These are all available from The Happy Puzzle Company alongside its own titles.

The image matters as much as the count. Scenes with plenty of variety, such as busy street scenes or landscapes with lots of colour, give you clear areas to work on and tend to feel achievable. Puzzles that are all one colour, or that repeat a pattern, are far harder because you cannot rely on the picture, so save those for someone who likes a proper challenge.

For a shortlist of compact games that pack down small and set up fast, browse the travel-friendly games chosen by escape room puzzle games.

From about six upwards, children can handle puzzles with a bit more thinking. The Genius Square and Genius Star ask them to roll dice and fit shapes into a grid, which keeps them busy without needing anyone to read a long rulebook. Games like these also work solo, which is useful for a quiet half-hour or a long car journey.

For a hand-picked selection of brain teasers across easy, medium and fiendish levels, have a look at the adult puzzle range at outdoor garden games.

It is worth thinking about the setting too. Games with a drawstring bag or a tin survive being thrown in a rucksack better than a large flat box. For a caravan or a beach hut with limited space, pick a few small games rather than one big one, so you can match the game to the mood without taking up a whole shelf.