Space and astronomy remain popular subjects for toys and games, and this is particularly apparent in the range of space and astronomy jigsaw puzzles created for both kids and adults alike.
Exciting images of spacewalking astronauts, spiral galaxies and the planets of our Solar System make for great jigsaw puzzle graphics where children are concerned, while deep-sky views of stars and distant galaxies against the darkness of space create a real challenge for grown-ups when dealing with 1,000-piece or 1,500-piece jigsaws.
Below is a list of some of the best space and astronomy jigsaw puzzles available to buy online, for both kids and adults.
For more gift ideas, read our guides to the best space and astronomy gifts, best Saturn V rocket models, best space board games and best space toys for kids.
Space jigsaw puzzles for kids
Discovery Space Puzzle
Easy for young kids
48 pieces
This 48-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring cartoon astronauts, rockets, Space Shuttles, telescopes, aliens, planets and artificial satellites has just about everything young children might associate with space and astronomy! A range of different bright colours and a low piece count makes this a good option for kids aged around 4 years of age who are interested in spaceflight and stargazing.
At just 48 pieces, it’s relatively easy to keep all pieces of this jigsaw accounted for, and it should be simple for kids to complete, perhaps encouraging young puzzle-builders to try something a bit more challenging.
Space Solar System Jigsaw Puzzle
A rewarding children's challenge
150 pieces
- Buy now from imooore
This 150-piece set might be the next step up for a young puzzler who’s just completed their first kigsaw. A circular puzzle, it features the Sun at the centre along with the planets of the Solar System and the Asteroid Belt in orbit around it.
And as it contains easily recognisable bodies of the Solar System, this puzzle makes for a good educational tool to teach children about planet Earth’s neighbours and how our cosmic neighbourhood all fits together. Plus, the pieces come in a pretty cool cardboard tub featuring cartoonish space designs.
Space Puzzle
50 pieces
- Buy now from Jaques London
A simple, 50-piece jigsaw prominently featuring cartoon astronauts, a red rocket and the planets of the Solar System in the background.
Usborne Book and Jigsaw: The Solar System
Best for educating young astronomers
200 pieces
Having been released by renowned children’s publisher Usborne, it’s unsurprising that this jigsaw puzzle of the Solar System also includes a fold-out book (which is actually an 8-page double-sided poster of sorts). The ‘book’ contains facts about the planets of the Solar System and their moons, features like the Kuiper Belt and the Asteroid Belt, dwarf planets and, as a nice touch, the many robotic spacecraft sent by humanity to explore our cosmic backyard. The jigsaw itself contains annotations for the planets, moons and spacecraft too, making this a good educational tool for home or in the classroom.
Ravensburger: The Planets
100 pieces
Any jigsaw puzzler worth their salt will be familiar with the Ravensburger brand. They're one of the most well-known producers of jigsaw puzzles for children and grown-ups alike. This 100-piece offering features an excitingly realist illustration of the planets of the Solar System,
Galt Space Giant Floor Puzzle
Creative fun for young toddlers
30 pieces
We couldn't have a list of space jigsaw puzzles for kids and not include a giant floor puzzle! Anyone who had a floor puzzle as a kid will have fond memories of building one of these in the living room on Christmas Day or at a birthday party. The puzzle contains 8 different templated pieces that are cut out in the shape of the planet, rocket or astronaut they're supposed to represent.
Playshed Space Explorer
- Buy now from Play Shed Puzzles
This cute, cartoon-style jigsaw puzzle features an astronaut who has landed on another celestial body, and includes a starry background with a flying saucer, a friendly alien, ringed planets, a spiral galaxy, asteroids and shooting stars.
The jigsaw is made up of 48 pieces and is aimed at kids aged 4-6. The puzzle is made in the UK with vegan inks, chlorine-free paper and recycled board.
Space jigsaw puzzles for grown-ups
Science Museum Impossible Space Puzzle
Properly challenging
1,000 pieces
- Buy now from PDK
Let's start off our grown-up selection of space jigsaw puzzles with a big bang, shall we?! A great example of how deep-sky images can make for incredibly challenging patterns is this 'impossible' puzzle from the Science Museum, showing a glowing star-forming region dotted with stars.
Moon Puzzle
Most compact
100 pieces
It may only be 100 pieces, but this is certainly a jigsaw for grown-ups. This circular puzzle measures 75cm across when completed and depicts the near-side of the Moon, as we see it from Earth. The relative homogeneity of the lunar surface makes this perhaps a bit tricky for young children to complete, but with a bit of help from grown-ups it could become an interesting lesson in the surface of the Moon, the lunar maria and why we only see one side of the Moon. Once finished, it would sit nicely in a square frame mounted on your living room wall.
Star Wars Death Star jigsaw puzzle
Two jigsaws in one
1,000 pieces
This double-sided jigsaw puzzle features the Death Star under construction, with a photo-realistic version on one side and a blueprint schematic on the other side. The nice thing about this is that the jigsaw can effectively be completed twice, making it two puzzles in one. This Death Star jigsaw puzzle also comes with a poster that can be used as a visual reference guide. Much like the NASA Moon jigsaw puzzle above, this is one that could prove particularly tricky.
Ravensburger Map of the Universe
A real challenge
1,500 pieces
- Buy now from Waterstones
Piece together the entire Universe bit-by-bit like some sort of almighty deity, with this challenging jigsaw puzzle from giants in the field Ravensburger. The dominance of the colour black and the intricate starry detail make this a tricky jigsaw to complete, but once you've done it, the result is a wonderful view of the observable Universe, with interesting facts and information to make it all a little more digestible.
Haynes Apollo Lunar Rover Jigsaw
1,000 pieces
Buy now from Amazon, Zavvi, eBay
Anyone familiar with the Haynes manuals will know how they have developed in recent years from useful guides to fixing commonly-owned vehicles, to becoming fun reference points covering anything from the entirety of our own Galaxy to the Large Hadron Collider, or even fictional spacecraft from the Star Wars franchise. This jigsaw focusses on the Apollo Lunar Rover that enabled astronauts to roam the surface of the Moon.
EuroGraphics Solar System Puzzle
1,000 pieces
This wonderfully artsy panoramic jigsaw puzzle depicts the planets of the Solar System along with some of their biggest moons and 4 dwarf planets. We love the comic book-style framing of the various Solar System worlds, and the fact that the competed puzzle makes for a perfectly framable panorama.
Tapestry of Blazing Starbirth Jigsaw Puzzle
1,000 pieces
This jigsaw features a wonderful Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 2014 and NGC 2020, two nebulae that make up part of a star-forming region within the Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way.
Ridley's Map of the Stars
1,000 pieces
This circular map of the night sky features over 30 constellations, complete with star patterns and mythological artwork. It comes in a decorated cardboard tube, making it easily transportable and stored away.
