9 Skills You Can Practice With Your Child Using ONE Melissa and Doug Puzzle

January 4, 2018
For Parents, Occupational Therapy

Melissa and Doug make fantastic toys. I really love their magnetic puzzles, and for good reason. Not only do they have a ton of options, there are also a number of skills that you can work on while playing with your child. Below are 9 skills you can practice with your child with ONE puzzle!

1. Fine Motor and Manual Dexterity Skills

Increases small and precise movements of the fingers and hands to manipulate the puzzle pieces to fit into the proper place on the puzzle

2. Bilateral Coordination

Requires the child to hold the magnetic net/pole in one hand while pulling off the puzzle piece against the magnetic force with the other hand utilizing both hands in a coordinated manner

3. Motor Planning

Requires the child to hold the magnetic net/pole in their hand and move their arms, wrists, and hands steadily above the puzzle to try and pick up the pieces.

4. Hand-Eye Coordination

Increasing the child’s ability to coordinate what they see with their eyes and what their hands do to complete the puzzle.

5. Visual-Perceptual Skills

Encourages the child to determine where the puzzle pieces fit and how to manipulate the objects to fit appropriately in the spaces by turning/maneuvering them. Increases the child’s ability to locate items/piece items together with a visually cluttered background to increase their visual-perceptual skills.

6. Cognitive Skills

Problem solving skills are utilized to solve the puzzle such as memory and shape recognition: The child is required to remember where the pieces were and how to accurately place them in the correct shapes.

7. Patience and Reward

Teaching your child patience while trialing various spaces in the puzzle to locate the correct placement for pieces and learning the reward and feeling of accomplishment once completed.

8. Crossing Midline

Encourage your child to reach across their body with their opposite arm with the net/pole to increase their ability to use both sides of their body in a coordinated way while increasing their trunk strength and control.

9. Shoulder Strengthening

Increases your child shoulder strength while holding their arm out straight over the puzzle to try and pick up the pieces. Have your child try using both arms!
Melissa and Doug have a variety of fun options to choose from such as catching bugs, fishing for ocean animals, and car towing!

Bug Catching Magnetic Puzzle on their website for $9.99:

Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game on their website for $9.99

Car Towing Magnetic Puzzle Car Game on their website for $9.99

Which one is your favorite?

Kelsey Bobek OTR/L

Crystal Scheibe

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