Reviews (4)

Nice picture making for an easier puzzle
My 2 year old daughter has this puzzle and thinks its wonderful.

Unlike many puzzles, with just one character on it, the picture is brilliant having lots of different trains, etc on it. It is easy to fit togehter, with parts of a different character or scene on every piece. She can easily put Thomas, the sheds, Harold, etc together thus eventually making the whole puzzle.

This is by far her favourite puzzle. For one, it's Thomas! And for 2, it's well-made and 'easy' to work out how to put together.

Most Beloved Toy
My son who just turned 4 years old in December received this for Christmas. I'm amazed at the beauty and durability of the pieces. He put it together about three times (with help) the first time we opened it! I never seen him so excited about a toy and to my greater surprise--a puzzle! Each time he placed a new piece in (sometimes with my assistance and sometimes not), he'd ask me to turn around and then ask me to look. When I looked I praised him for his accomplishment and he squealed with excitement. He literally jumped up and down almost after each piece was placed! He told me this was his favorite gift for Christmas and believe me he had quite a few more that were more expensive. I'll be buying more Thomas puzzles from this company in the near future as I'm very impressed.

Easy enough for young kids to solve by themselves
My son and I have been doing puzzles together since he was two, but most of the puzzles that claim to be for kids are too complicated or have pieces that are a little too small for him to work with; so he usually "helps" me by talking with me as I do the puzzle and occasionally placing a piece. He likes this big Thomas puzzle because, at age 4, he can do it all by himself. The pieces are big, which not only makes it easier to grasp and manipulate, but easier to comprehend the shape and the picture pattern as well. Of course, he likes that it is Thomas, and he even likes the "cool" box it comes in.

So this puzzle has a lot of replay value, because whenever we start a puzzle session, he will eventually move to this one to show mommy and me that he can do it all by himself, and that makes him feel good.

Big, bright puzzle
My son has enjoyed this puzzle since he was 3! It features a bright picture of his favorite engines. The pieces are large and easy to handle- perfect for a younger child who loves puzzles. It has been great for spacial learning. My son would put this together, again and again. He is almost 5 now and still plays with this. The pieces have lasted for almost 2 years and still look new! (They are a heavy cardboard.) ... Read more

Editorial Review

One of the first steps in learning to read is being able torecognize and label symbols. While your baby may not be naming theentire alphabet by the time he's 1 year old, this interlocking setcertainly offers a firm foundation for future reading. Each12-by-12-inch piece contains an easy-to-grasp, pullout letter of thealphabet; there are 50 pieces in all. Parents may need to help youngtoddlers with assembling the floor mat, since it requires more detailedpuzzle-fitting skills. But children as young as 1 year old can learn tofit the letters into the slots by themselves. This also makes acomfortable tumbling mat or a nicely cushioned play area. The set comesin a clear vinyl storage case with a zip closure. --HannahReynolds ... Read more

Features

• Good base for future reading skills
• 50-piece floor puzzle
• Toddlers may need some guidance from adults when assembling
• Comes with a clear vinyl storage case

Reviews (8)

All For Fun
I love this mat! I got this for my 9 month old daughter and she immediately took to it. She loved the vibrant colors and the fact that she can pull out the letters, within a couple of days she found out that she could pull the whole mat appart (a lot of work for the parent...but all comepletely worth it). Friends have pulled it appart and have used it as a hop-scotch board and built things out of it. The foam is a little flimsy though, so I would recomend watching children when they are teething and figuring out the capabilities of their teeth. But over all I love this and have recomended it to many people.

If you have hardwood floors, buy this
We have hardwood floors, which are nice, but when you have a baby who wants to be on the floor, it's hard on everyone. So, we went out and bought this. It's much better than the floor, but it's not carpeting. They're pretty durable - my son has taken all of the letters and the numbers out and put them back and they don't seem to be very worn yet! (He's 18 months and we've had it for at least 12 months.) For a long time, that was one of the things he enjoyed doing the most, taking the letters out, walking around with them, and chewing on them. He would also put them back in later, but not as often as he would take them out. I didn't really worry much about the small pieces - the small circles for the inside of the eight, six, zero, b's, etc - since we're with him when he plays with this. But if you are, you can simply take them out and put them away for later. Of course, that means that your child will be able to pull out the letters and numbers more easily, but that's part of the fun. (Little ones have a hard time getting much of a gripe on the letters and numbers when they're pushed flush with the blocks.) Also, I think that it's nice to have the alphabet out and some numbers. My one complaint is that the one we got, when it's put together has six vertical stripes through all the letters, but then the numbers don't continue it. I guess I wish ours was more random, which some are.

Missing pieces, manufacturer website doesn't exist
Love the ABC mat concept and the vivid colors! The mat's letter "I" was missing. Tried to pull up D&S Products International's website, ... and it just came up a general directory page called Retroglo Directory Page. I searched for Fun Foam Letters Mat and it came up amazon.com and ToysRus. Said that the product is no longer stocked or has been discontinued. Did a Google Search and found no D&S Products International or RetroGlo--only sourceguides came up when I even plugged in the address of D&S. ... I read other products reviews of this mat and others are missing borders and letters as I am.

Great mat for all ages
I actually purchased the 62 piece mat for my 7 month old twin girls' playroom. They are now 9 months old and even though the package recommends ages 3 and up they throughly enjoy rolling around on the mat. Now that they are crawling they seem to prefer crawling on the mat instead of the carpet, I think because they move faster. I did remove (and store away) all of the smaller circles and shapes that fill in holes in the letters for fear one of the girls might choke, but other than that I think it is a safe toy for babies. They pull up and chew on the letters and border pieces, and have never actually made a mark. Everytime they pull up a letter and play with it, I tell them what the letter is and give examples of words that start with that letter so hopefully it is an educational toy as well. My 18 month old niece loves coming over and always heads straight for the mat, she pulls the letters up and likes to rearange the sequence of the squares. I think my girls will enjoy this mat for many years to come.

Great play mat for children learning to sit and crawl
My 8 month old twin daughter's love this mat. I don't have much living room space and the little space I had was hardwood floored. I've tried laying sheets, using playmats and they all move with each move they make. They end up with scrapes from crawling and extended pain from falling to lay on their back. So, I remembered seeing this and the 62 piece in the store at one time. I decided to purchase the 62 piece one. They pay more attention to me putting it together than playing with their numorous toys. They also like to look at the many colors and try to take the letters out. I must mention that this product is not for TEETHERS!!! You need to keep an eye on your child so that they don't try to take a bite out of the foam. My twins haven't done it yet and I pray they don't. Great investment as a play mat! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great Dinosaur Floor Puzzle!!
I purchased the Dinosaur Floor Puzzle for my 3.5 year old son. He does extremely well with puzzles and was concerned that it might be too easy. Though the pieces are large, it is still a little difficult because most of the dinosaurs are similar in color with the same background. It pushes to really study the pieces and decide where they go. I highly recommend this puzzle and look forward to buying more in the future!

Stimulate your child's brain with puzzles!
My 3 year old son enjoys his 24 piece grocery store puzzles and was able to spend a good 15-20 minutes assembling them, at first with help from mommy and then by himself. I thought it was time to try a more difficult puzzle- this was a good next step. He and I put this one together- he is not ready for it on his own, but it is not so difficult that he gets frustrated if we work together. As another reviewer pointed out, this is a good puzzle to teach 2 important puzzle skills that 24 piece puzzles don't quite get at: #1: to look at the box as a reference and #2: to start by making the outside border and then filling in the middle. The quality is outstanding- it blows grocery store puzzles out of the water. The colors are beautiful, but lots of similar shades of brown and green which make it slightly more difficult. My son is wanting to know the names of the different dinosaurs now. If you want to sit down and help your toddler with this puzzle at first it is a great one to get! We love this company and their products!!!

Awesome puzzle for kids interested in dinosaurs.
We bought this as a gift for our two-year old nephew, and he absolutely loved it! Like many little boys, likes anything dinosaur, and he also enjoys puzzles, so this was perfect. The pieces are very sturdy and can certainly survive some toddler abuse. The puzzle can be used again and again, but the finished work is so attractive that it also makes a cool wall hanging for a kid's bedroom--it looks great in my nephew's room! Highly recommended.

I can't say enough!
We bought this for our two-year-old dinosaur fanatic for Christmas. I was afraid it would be too difficult for him, but after doing it with him a couple of times, he can do it on his own. It holds his attention for the twenty to thirty minutes it takes for him to complete it. We've since bought him three other puzzles from this manufacturer. They're extremely durable.

Challenging, but lots of fun
My son got this puzzle when he was three. He absolutely loved it and still does at four. It wasn't quite as easy as many of the floor puzzles, which usually have simpler pictures (stylistically). I think that's part of why he liked it. The first time he put it together took him about 20 minutes of concentrated 'work'. After that, he was able to put it together in about 2 mintues, but loves to stomp around it and pretend that he is one of the dinosaurs in the puzzle.

This has been a great one. Lots of fun and very, very durable (it goes together probably every other day around here). I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Awesome T-Rex
My four year old grandson has had this puzzle for two years and has probably assembled it over 100 times! He still loves it more than any other puzzle we've given him, probably because it's in the shape of a T-Rex. I highly recommend it for any dinosaur loving child.

dinosaur shaped large floor puzzle, very good quality
Typical of this manufacturer, the cardboard pieces are strong and durable. The graphics are a high quality printing. Without abnormal abuse this puzzle will last for many years.

The puzzle is shaped like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is large. Will be loved by dinosaur fanatics like my son!

I highly recommend all carboard and wooden peg puzzles by Lights, Camera, Interaction for their durability and high quality. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Giant puzzle fun!
My 2-1/2-year-old son has learned so much from this simple puzzle: lessons in looking at and focusing on what's before him, comparison (between box and pieces), sequence (what comes next?), patience, and following through to complete a task (who can leave a puzzle unfinished?). Now he can do the whole thing himself, which makes him feel so proud!

The pieces are nice and large, and because they're much thicker than most cardboard puzzles, they're also quite durable. He puts it together at least once a day, and when he sees the same puzzle at a friend's house, he wants to do it there, too. The price was a pleasant surprise - it's worth far more than [the price].

The start of a wonderful relationship with puzzles!
My daughter (now 28 months) has loved this puzzle for over 1 year! She first loved seeing the excellent barn/farm animal picture come together like magic when she was young. Then she enjoyed putting the pieces we gave her in the spots we'd show her. Now she knows to look at the picture on the box for help, separate all the edge and middle pieces and can put it together pretty much on her own. (Although she loves an audience when putting puzzles together!) We now own six large floor puzzles, although this one is still the favorite. The alphabet train puzzle is a close second and is great for helping my daughter learn the alphabet visually in order. We sing the alphabet song from the beginning each time so she can figure out which letter piece comes next. These puzzles are really fun and are excellent quality. Also, this barn picture comes in a large knob wooden version as well, which my 8 month old son is beginning to enjoy! I highly recommend these puzzles for any child just under a year old and up to probably age 5 or 6. (The neighbor's kids play with them just as happily and they are 5 and 7.) I'm sure my daughter's love of puzzles began with this barn puzzle.

Great Puzzle!
We bought this for my 5 year old when she was 2 and she still loves this puzzle. All of her cousins do the puzzle when they come over and now her younger sister loves it too. It has held up well for all the use it has gotten!

Priceless Learning Tools & Fun Too!
My 3 yr. old daughter is autistic. This is the 7th Melissa & Doug puzzle we have bought. Thanks to these puzzles, she has developed her attention span and motor skills as well as her speech! She never gets bored with them and she has developed several different techniqes for putting them together. As other parents of autistic children know, reaching their children is not an easy task. These puzzles are wonderful therapy tools and children love them. These puzzles are so great for special needs kids, we have even bought some to give to the children's autism interventionist to help others as they have done for us.

A great puzzle
I purchased this puzzle to use with a class of Kindergarteners. They love it! We just finished a farm theme and this puzzle obviously fit perfectly. The kids would work in a small group of three or four and put the puzzle together. Some kids also decided they wanted to put the puzzle together by themselves. One plus is that the pieces are extra thick. This puzzle has been used A LOT, and it is still in great condition. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent Puzzle!
My three year old loves this puzzle and it has helped her learn her letters. We even play games with it - kind of like "I spy" for the next letter. The peices are large and easy for her to assemble. Well worth the investment.

Grab this puzzle!
This has got to be one of the best puzzles or tools to teach the alphabet. My little one just received this for his birthday and has put it together all by himself already (he's 3)! It teaches great motor dexterity as well as the alphabet and 26 animals. He loves to make all their sounds as he goes along. It stretches clear across the kitchen floor and it's a bunch of fun for the cat too! My son is getting a big jump on the alphabet with this puzzle and it's just a great investment. Here's a little hint though. Don't wait until the last minute to get it for Christmas. I tried last year and it was sold out for 2 months! Get it now and don't be disappointed!

Lots of fun
I bought this puzzle for my 2 yr old daughter for Christmas and she loves it. She doesn't know her letters yet, but she can find all 'passengers' on the train and we say the letter for the piece that she is looking for. Now, she is starting to know what letters we are looking for. This is a step up from the alphabet song and leading into letter recognition. The pieces are thick and durable. She stands on them and there is no wear and tear. This is a great toy for any preschooler! Wonderful 'hands-on' toy!

Can't go wrong with this one!
My 3 year old daughter is autistic and I read another person's Amazon review. The review recommended it for working with autistic children. These puzzles are outstanding in quality and "entertainment with a purpose". This puzzle is so much fun and holds my daughter's interest. It has helped her motor skills to figure out how the pieces fit and manuever them into place. She loves to sort and to search through the pieces, hide and seek style, to get the one that comes next. She used to not be able to sit and finish anything. This has increased her attention span and we love it! Buy it!

Wonderful Floor Puzzle
I just got this puzzle and the animal barn puzzle today. They are wonderful. I bought them because of the nice reviews I read here. When I got it, I am still surprised in their thickness and size. My daughter is still too young for them, but I am sure she will love them when the time comes. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is a challenge that is sure to please future firefighters. This bold and colorful floor puzzle contains 24 jumbo extra-thick cardboard pieces that snap easily into place to create a high quality, yet simple picture of a fire truck ready for the alarm. This large, imaginative puzzle with an easy-clean surface has a finished layout of approximately 4 feet long. --Deb Oroszlan ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Big Enough For Two
Both of my kids (4 ½ and 22 Mos.)love fire trucks so this puzzle was a big hit. The large size (4 feet long) makes it a good size for use on a coffee table. t is also large enough that several kids can work on it without banging into each other.

The design is clear with strong colors and nice details (look for the dalmatian in the window). The pieces are durable for cardboard (my kids walk across the puzzle constantly and it has not been damaged).

My only fault with the puzzle is it is so popular I can never get it put away for more than a few minutes. Once taken apart, the kids want to put it together again.

Great puzzle
I bought this puzzle for my 2 1/2 year old son. He loves to point out everything on the puzzle. he is getting really good at putting it together.

The pieces are very large and thick so hard to bend.

DURABLE PUZZLE
It's great to see puzzles are becoming more and more durable. This one certainly can withstand toddler handling. Bright, colorful pieces. Great family fun too. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

hours of fun for my 3 year old
I got this puzzle for my daughter for her third birthday and she just loves the bright colors and the vivid images of the bugs and flowers. The first time it was completed she was so amazed by how pretty it looked and insisted on using it as a napping pad! Each piece is distinct enough to tell apart, and the adjacent pieces usually share some common feature (such as a bright-colored pedal or a wing of a dragonfly), so that even though she is challenged, she can complete it by herself after some time. In that sense the puzzle is great for fostering patience and building confidence. It's been two months and she still plays with it. Recently I brought it to my office and now we can both have our "quiet time" when she visits. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

what a great learning puzzle
My 4 year old nephew just loves this puzzle! It's the best! The large pieces make it easy for him to manueuver.

Great Puzzle
We got this puzzle for our 3 kids last Christmas. It is big, bright, sturdy and very educational...even for me! Of course the first thing we noticed was the picture of the Twin Towers over New York. (Not sure if they are still making them like that)This is something I will keep forever, and that my kids will continue learning from for years to come.

Really sturdy & fun
My four-year-old has been obsessed with this puzzle.

The geographical pictures give grownups things to talk about (e.g., "There's the Golden Gate; you've seen that." or "Do you remember where the corn grows?"). Also, the pieces are extremely sturdy & flat so it locks together easily. This reduces the frustration factor.

Who Can Find A State
This puzzle is a great way to introduce your little ones to the good old USA.My granddaughters love to see who can find the states the fastest. You lay out the puzzle, and let your kids learn the states. Even your young childen will soon learn where the state goes, and its name. What a great way for children to learn what they will be required to learn in the 4th and 5th grade. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Bonding time with Younger kids
I bought this for my 3 yr old who LOVES puzzles. The pieces are big enough for her to grab and manuever. The pictures are bright and easy enough for her to figure out where the next piece goes. NOT ONLY THAT but it includes static stickers so she can play pretend with the characters. Great gift. I recommend to parents with children 3 and up!!

This is a really fun toy
This is a really great toy for kids!!! My son has 1 and he loves it. I have an auction of something he got for chrismas and didn't want. Check this out!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3122049981 ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Puzzles
We bought this puzzle for my then 2 year old as he had mastered the barn puzzle (which is also amazing). There are monkeys, tigers, butterflies, and numerous other jungle animals. I had to look up several of the animals as I was not sure of what they were. This was a good educational experience for both me and my son. This puzzle is durable as are all of the M&D floor puzzles. It has been stepped on and thrown across the room by a highly rambunctions child. I have had this puzzle for over a year, and it looks great. I rotate this puzzle with the other Melissa and Doug floor puzzzles that we have. I recommend any of their floor puzzles as they are great quality and have easy to handle pieces for kids. They are a great opportunity to teach about different subjects and teach new words to children. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very Entertaining
My 3 year old grandson and I have put this puzzle together many times, and he hasn't gotten tired of it yet after 3 months of play. At first I had to do a lot of it for him, but he is beginning to do it on his own with a little help from Grandma. The color is great and it is very durable. We like the thick and chunky pieces. I just bought two more Melissa & Doug puzzles recently, because I was impressed with this puzzle. I'm sure my grandson will enjoy the T-Rex puzzle as much as this one, and I know he will be playing with these puzzles for a long time. A satisfied customer. Faribault,MN

Great fun and tough and durable
My 2.5 yr old son loves this puzzle. I help him put it together and he just loves the challenge and the construction equipment. I like how tough the pieces are- they have held up even when stepped on and chewed on by a baby. Very nice! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This bold and colorful floor puzzle contains 32 large extra-thick cardboard pieces that easily snap into place to create an intriguing, yet simple design of a busy barnyard scene. An easy-clean surface keeps this jigsaw looking new. This large, imaginative puzzle has a finished layout that measures approximately 2 feet high by 3 feet long. --Deb Oroszlan ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Gift!
I bought the Farm Friends puzzle for my nephew's birthday, and it was such a hit that it was hard to get him to open any of his other gifts. He wanted to start on it right away.

My sister was pumped, too, because it has some kind of coating that makes it easy to clean when something gets spilled.

All in all, a great product at a very affordable price. ... Read more

Editorial Review

There's so much to see and imagine in this big, colorful, 24-piece floorpuzzle of Noah's ark. The ark has found a verdant shore, and the rainbow archesover the welcome landfall. Happy animal pairs--including Noah and his wife--surveythe grass and flowers, standing on terra firma for the first time in 40 days andnights. Children build matching and motor skills and learn their first Bible storyas they work with jumbo, easy-to-handle pieces. The surface is easy to clean. Whenfinished, the puzzle measures 2 by 3 inches. --Ava Natov ... Read more