Ds8 was always a good puzzler, I don't remember having to show him much, but I did work the puzzles with him often. He still enjoys I Spy books and Where's Waldo - the sort of 'find little bits with your eyes' games which have always excited him.
DD2.5 is good at puzzles too, but not quite as instinctive as her brother. When starting on the wooden tray puzzles I would encourage her to keep trying by telling her to 'turn it, turn it, turn it...' just a little chant so she'd get that it was an ongoing thing - you don't just try once or twice and give up.
On the flat puzzles, she engages when we are working on an interesting part like a character face/eyes/nose, but then sort of wanders off while I 'finish up' the border (boring!) parts.
Actually, that's sort of my preferred mode too...
