There are several other advantages to wood puzzles for toddlers:

-Cardboard puzzles are easily bent and ruined, whereas wood can last for generations

-Cardboard puzzles easily come apart accidentally while a toddler is trying to connect the next piece, making it very frustrating for toddlers. Thick wood puzzles stay connected and take an effort to disconnect. The First Jigsaw Puzzle – Square, for instance, has pieces that are almost 1″ thick and will not come apart if jostled.

-Toddlers like to do puzzles (and pretty much everything else) over and over and over again. Older children and adults generally just do a jigsaw puzzle once. This makes it more important to have a puzzle that can handle the repeated and rough play of toddlers. Cardboard puzzles are quickly discarded because they are ruined, not because a toddler has tired of them. The additional cost of a high-quality wood puzzle generally pays for itself as it can last not only through one child, but multiple children, and even multiple generations.

-Toddlers put toys in their mouths. Natural woods are a safer choice than cardboard and painted puzzles.