How to help your child with the Twist & Pivot Pattern Puzzle—and why it’s worth it

The Twist & Pivot Pattern Puzzle may test your 2-year-old’s frustration tolerance, but it’s tricky by design 😉 

The puzzle is intended to challenge and develop a range of emerging skills. To get pieces on each tower, your child practices problem-solving and flexible thinking. They develop a fundamental math skill when they match pieces by color. And with every movement, they build finger, wrist, and arm muscles that will eventually help them write letters and words. 

Your child may not successfully use all those skills to complete the puzzle right away. Here’s how to take the puzzle one step at a time:

How to introduce the Twist & Pivot Pattern Puzzle, in 5 steps 

1. Step one? Put away the puzzle base

Take out the puzzle pieces only and encourage your child to explore them. They can be used as pretend donuts for stuffed animals, laced on the Toggle String from The Block Set, or rolled in a game to see who can get their piece the furthest. When your child gets familiar with the pieces in a low-pressure way, they’re likely to be less intimidated once the entire puzzle is out. 

2. Deconstruct the puzzle

Start with the puzzle fully assembled and remove the pieces with your child. The first piece of each tower is the easiest to get off, giving them instant success.

3. Put together the simplest tower

The pink tower is easiest to construct, so tuck away the blue and green pieces. Show your child how to rotate the pieces clockwise to put them on and counterclockwise to take them off. It may take them multiple tries—and it’s okay if the tower pieces are out of order or only some of them make it on. The goal is for your child to figure out the twisting motion. The movements they’ll use to complete this tower get them ready to twist pieces on and off the other two towers. 

4. Try one piece of each tower

Three puzzle pieces feel a lot more manageable than 12 ❤️ Put one corresponding piece in front of each tower for your child to try. Keep in mind that the bottom piece of every tower is the most challenging to put on and take off. 

If your child has already learned how to build the pink tower, they can use the same technique to put a piece on the yellow tower. But they may need more help with the blue one, which sometimes requires twisting the puzzle piece and the light blue squares of the post. If your child is struggling, let them twist the puzzle piece while you adjust the squares. 

5. Work together to assemble the whole puzzle

Take turns picking a piece, finding the right tower, and twisting it on—giving your child encouragement as they go. To make the game more interesting, put all the puzzle pieces in the Cotton Drawstring Bag from The Block Set and alternate pulling out a mystery piece. 

The Researcher Play Kit (Months 31-33)

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The Block Set

A brilliant, practical system of solid wood blocks for building spatial, language, and problem-solving skills.

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