Wooden puzzle fishing games

This wooden puzzle is one of numerous fishing games that does not involve getting cold or wet. The wooden block pictured is 4 inches by 4 inches square by ½ inch deep and the fish pieces have been cut out of the block. Each piece, there are 10 fish in all, is ¼ inch thick and very sturdy. This game has been in my family’s wooden toy box for many years and is a real favorite to spring upon unsuspecting visitors.

How to play fish

Very simply all the fish are spilled from the playing block (see below) and must be replaced in the correct order. There is only one possible solution as all pieces are differently shaped and cannot be interchanged. Your effort is timed and each player in turn must complete the puzzle. Completion times range from 20 seconds to 30 minutes.

Going fishing

It took me a long time to complete when I first saw it. The problem arises if you only get the merest glimpse of the completed puzzle before the owner tipples the fish out onto the table to challenge you.

Other wooden fishing games

Child learning toys come in many forms and this is another wooden fishing game for kids. It is one of those classic games that can be easily be made at home from a magnet, a pencil or crayon, some string, a few paper clips and some flat wooden ice cream or lolly sticks. One stick will be the fishing rod and a length of string is attached to one end of the rod. The other end of the string has the magnet attached. Two other sticks need to be broken down into 4 or 5 pieces each, which represent the fish. A parent might help here and cut the wood into fish shapes for the children. Each small piece now gets a paper clip attached and a fish score number drawn on one side of the ‘fish’. The fishes are numbered 1 to 10.

How to play the magnet fishing game

The fish are all spread on the floor with the numbers face down and each child in turn uses the rod to catch a fish. The magnet catches hold of the paper clip fish. If more than 2 or 3 children are playing then more fishes need to be created. The winner is the child (or adult, if mom or pop participates) with the highest fish total. The total is the numeric value of all the fish caught by the player.

Making these puzzle toys

Both of these activity toys can be made with the latter one being by far the easier of the two to make. Most people with even moderate carpentry skills could make quite a good version of the fishing rod and numbered fish game. The first puzzle game, however, would present manufacturing difficulties if you only had basic carpentry tools as intricate jig sawing skills are needed.

Fishing games like these are great fun to play and make great Christmas toys and a Christmas stocking will always be enriched by the addition of a good wooden puzzle or two.