Puzzles are so reminiscent of childhood. You might remember the ten piece starter puzzles, the large floor puzzles, and the pain of losing one piece but finding it later under the couch.

Puzzles are also a great developmental tool for a child, especially if they have little knobs on each piece. What’s with the knobs, you might ask? Here’s why they make all the difference.

A puzzle piece with a knob requires a child to use their thumb and forefinger to grasp the piece. This is called the pincer grip. The pincer grip, which requires fine motor skills, prepares a child’s hand to hold a pencil. When it comes time for a child to begin writing, these skills will make all the difference!

Introduce a few knobbed puzzles into your child’s rotation. Carefully show your child that this special puzzle piece is held, not on the edge, but by the knob! It’s easier to drop into place this way as well.

Puzzles in general also help a child’s hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and hand strength. Here are a few suggestions for knobbed puzzles you can purchase.

For young children, Deluxe Fish Bowl Jumbo Knob Puzzle is a great start. It features cute swimming shapes with big knobs for small hands.

For older children, start using puzzles like this fish puzzle with more pieces and smaller knobs!

Any puzzles you can find with knobs on them will be great fine motor exercises for your family, and we hope you enjoy!

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