18 Awesome Puzzles for Fine Motor Skills

Apples, Blocks, and Crayons

Why Puzzles?

01.

Fine Motor Skills

Cognitive Development

02.

Problem-solving Skills

03.

Inset Puzzles

01.

Inset puzzles are puzzles that have a carved out space for each piece. These are usually the first puzzles young children will like to play with. Inset puzzles take less hand eye coordination and precision than other types of puzzles making them the best place to start for beginners.

Knobbed Puzzles

02.

A knobbed puzzle is a type of inset puzzle that has a wooden knob on each puzzle piece. The knob requires more small movements from little hands but can greatly benefit the development of fine motor skills. These are a great idea once your child gets the basic idea of a puzzle down.

Peg Puzzles

03.

Very similar to knobbed puzzles, peg puzzles have a small plastic peg on each piece. The pegs are usually smaller than the knobs and require more fine motor control.

Jigsaw Puzzles

04.

Simple jigsaw puzzles are the next step up after inset puzzles. Each of the jigsaw pieces is different and requires a higher level of problem-solving skills to place correctly. These are best for a little bit older children.

Floor Puzzles

05.

Floor puzzles are a type of simple jigsaw puzzle on a large scale. Because of the size of the puzzle, these help with both fine and gross motor skills. The large puzzles offer variety and a new way to look at puzzles.

Puzzle like toys

Benefits of puzzles