Everyone is a genius (even though they eat old Cheerios off the floor). Give your a free puzzle, watch you mind work some magic and you’ll be certain a Nobel Prize is next.

All ages can gain benefits from playing with puzzles game. These brain-building activities help develop cognitive and fine-motor skills, foster cooperative play and spur problem-solving prowess. Not only are puzzles a perfect way to spend some quality time together, but feel proud of themselves for completing one. Better yet, they’re an interactive way to teach colors, letters, numbers, shapes, animals and beyond.

There are different types of puzzles for different ages. One-year-olds have a blast with large, simple wooden puzzles where shapes easily fit into each cutout. As you grow, move onto more advanced setups with pieces of varying sizes and configurations.

You may put more pieces in mouth than in designated places at first, but a little practice goes a long way in boosting hand-eye coordination. Be patient and resist the urge to help too much. Part of the fun is letting little ones figure things out for themselves. When you childhood, it’s all about tactile and sensory experiences as well as understanding size differentiation and object recognition.