Solo puzzle games are useful when you need to keep one child occupied without a second player. The Genius Square and Genius Star are self-contained, so a child can roll, place and solve on a tray table or a picnic blanket without anyone else joining in. Card games such as Flip 7, available from The Happy Puzzle Company, come into their own when the whole family wants a quick round at a campsite or in a holiday cottage.

To see jigsaws grouped by piece count and theme, from first puzzles for toddlers to harder pieces for adults, take a look at the jigsaw collection at jigsaw puzzles.

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.

Stocking fillers are where the smaller puzzles shine. Self-contained games such as the Genius Square, along with pocket brain teasers, drop neatly into a stocking and give someone a challenge for the quiet bit of The Happy Puzzle Company UK morning. For children, a game matched to their age, from Bee Genius for the little ones to WordSnap XL for older siblings, tends to get more play than yet another plastic toy.

These games are a good pick if you want screen-free play that travels well and does not need a long rulebook. You can compare the full Genius line-up and read how each version plays at escape room puzzle games.

To compare escape room games by difficulty and player count, and find one that suits your group, see the escape room range at games for children.