The Best Pegged Puzzles
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Our Picks For The Top Pegged Puzzles
Master the BasicsToddlers can start to learn the alphabet, numbers and animals with this matching wooden puzzle set.
Fun for Young OnesDon't leave younger children out of the fun — this pegboard-based stacking toy lets them sort and build, too.
Fun Gift IdeaThis quality set of four wooden peg puzzles is a great choice for gift-giving to your favorite little one!
Puzzles are a great educational tool for young, developing minds. Moving puzzle pieces around and matching them to shapes can help toddlers hone cognitive abilities like spatial reasoning while also helping with fine motor skill development.
But many puzzles are designed for toddlers, not infants, with a recommended age range of 2 or 3 years old and up. Puzzle pieces are just tough for tiny fingers to hold. Yet by the age of 5 to 6 months, many infants are already beginning to grasp objects. That leads to a great opportunity for parents to use puzzles to encourage early development.
This is where a pegged puzzle can help. Like regular puzzles, pegged puzzles have pieces you slide into a corresponding slot on a board. But this type of puzzle has a peg on one side that allows children to lift pieces in and out easily. At first, they may only be able to take them out, but over time, they’ll learn to place them back in as well.
There are two types of pegged puzzles, although sometimes they’re listed interchangeably. One has a knob and is the simplest type available for infants and toddlers. The pieces on a knob puzzle are usually larger and do not connect. Each piece has a smooth, rounded knob attached to it that can be easily grabbed in one fist, which makes them a great introduction to puzzles in general.
A pegged puzzle has a smaller attachment that also allows children to pick pieces up easily. You might choose to start your infant out with knobs and progress to pegs, but some infants have no problem grasping the pegs with their fingers. A pegged puzzle will often have 8 to 26 pieces, making it slightly more advanced than a knob puzzle.
Basically, you’ll be able to find a puzzle that matches the abilities of your child no matter how old they are when you introduce them!
The Best Pegged Puzzles
CHAFIN Wooden Educational Pegged Puzzles, 4-Pack
You’ll get four fun 11.8 by 8.6 inch puzzles in one set here, featuring the alphabet, numbers, farm animals and insects. Each puzzle is made of premium wood and water-based paint, with sturdy pegs connected to puzzle pieces by an anti-shedding nail.
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Specifications
Skoolzy Shape Sorting & Stacking Pegged Puzzle
With plastic pegs that are easy to grip, this pegboard stacking toy can be enjoyed by young toddlers, who develop motor skills as they learn geometric shapes and sorting from 12 different shapes and colors. Older children can gain basic math skills as well.
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Specifications
ThinkMax Wooden Knob Grip Pegged Puzzles, 4-Pack
Four wooden peg puzzles come in this set, which has pictures under each puzzle piece to make matching easy. The natural wood and water-based paint make this a practical choice for toddlers as they learn numbers, animals, vegetables and vehicles.
Features
Specifications
Our Pegged Puzzle Buying Guide
Puzzles are a great educational tool for young, developing minds. Moving puzzle pieces around and matching them to shapes can help toddlers hone cognitive abilities like spatial reasoning while also helping with fine motor skill development.
But many puzzles are designed for toddlers, not infants, with a recommended age range of 2 or 3 years old and up. Puzzle pieces are just tough for tiny fingers to hold. Yet by the age of 5 to 6 months, many infants are already beginning to grasp objects. That leads to a great opportunity for parents to use puzzles to encourage early development.
This is where a pegged puzzle can help. Like regular puzzles, pegged puzzles have pieces you slide into a corresponding slot on a board. But this type of puzzle has a peg on one side that allows children to lift pieces in and out easily. At first, they may only be able to take them out, but over time, they’ll learn to place them back in as well.
There are two types of pegged puzzles, although sometimes they’re listed interchangeably. One has a knob and is the simplest type available for infants and toddlers. The pieces on a knob puzzle are usually larger and do not connect. Each piece has a smooth, rounded knob attached to it that can be easily grabbed in one fist, which makes them a great introduction to puzzles in general.
A pegged puzzle has a smaller attachment that also allows children to pick pieces up easily. You might choose to start your infant out with knobs and progress to pegs, but some infants have no problem grasping the pegs with their fingers. A pegged puzzle will often have 8 to 26 pieces, making it slightly more advanced than a knob puzzle.
Basically, you’ll be able to find a puzzle that matches the abilities of your child no matter how old they are when you introduce them!
DWYM Fun Fact
If you’ve ever wondered what your baby is thinking, you aren’t alone. Scientists have actually studied infant brains extensively. Over the years, this research has revealed that babies can’t assign words to their thoughts just yet, but that doesn’t stop them from thinking.
Known as protothoughts, an infant’s thoughts are actually mostly based on sensations. A baby is likely to be focused on basic needs like hunger, a need for sleep and discomfort due to temperature. Movement becomes more of a focus around month four, at which point researchers believe babies begin to connect what they’re thinking to what they can do with their bodies. At around six or seven months, babies begin to develop memory and consciousness, and as they start to talk, they develop neural connections between words and objects.
A baby’s cognitive development can be enhanced by experiencing a variety of stimuli. In other words, a baby’s mental capacity increases as that baby is introduced to more of the world.
The Pegged Puzzle Tips and Advice
- Many pegged puzzles come in sets. This means you’ll get two or more puzzles in one. Some are designed to target different educational needs. You might have a puzzle with ABCs and numbers, for instance, mixed with puzzles that have animals or insects.
- Some puzzles have themes that match toddler interests, such as trucks or farm animals. This can be a fun way to broaden your child’s imagination while also matching the décor of your nursery or children’s bedrooms.
- Pay close attention to the size of the puzzles you want to purchase. They can vary in width and length, and you might find the puzzle pieces are smaller than you think.
- You’ll find wood as a popular material for pegged puzzles. This is a classic, durable option, but wood can be prone to warping if exposed to moisture. Store wooden puzzles in a dry, cool place when not in use.
- You’ll need a way to keep puzzles pieces together between uses. Some come with storage bags, while others have racks. Many others aren’t sold with a storage option, though, so you’ll have to figure out your own solution.
- Many puzzles help children learn by utilizing matching skills. A puzzle piece may have an picture on it, which matches an image in the slot it fits into.
- Motor skills and spatial reasoning aren’t the only ways puzzles help with development. Some have sounds built in that will help children with auditory development, while others have features designed to build imagination and storytelling abilities.
- Your family isn’t the only one that can have fun with pegged puzzles. They make great gifts for the small children in your life.
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About The Author
Stephanie Faris is a novelist and business writer whose work has appeared on numerous blogs. She worked for the State of Tennessee for 19 years, the latter six of which were spent as a supervisor. She has written content for entrepreneurs and marketing firms since 2011. In addition to her online content, she is also the author of eight novels for Simon & Schuster, including the Piper Morgan chapter book series.