Reviews (3)

Great fun! An educational toy your child will love!
This puzzle is very sturdy; not as bendy as most puzzles. My daughter loves putting this puzzle together. She is five and we are learning about the Solar System. I like this toy because after you put it together you can quiz your child on Solar system facts. Ask your child to point out which planet is the largest (Jupiter...although in this puzzle they make earth look larger because of the perspective)Ask him/her which planet is the smallest, which planet is closest to the sun...etc...etc...the learning never ends! There are always new solar system facts you can add into your fun! I strongly recommend this toy as a fun learning tool for you and your child. I really love all the Melissa and Doug products.

classic quality
My boys, 7 1/2 and 5, both enjoy this puzzle immensely. It is very well made and the sturdy pieces are easily put together....no bent edges here. When completed this high quality puzzle depicts a beautiful illustration of the solar system which has sparked their interest in learning about planets, stars, comets, etc....highly recommended!

OUT OF THIS WORLD
My 2 1/2 year old son received this puzzle as a gift. It's been a year now and he still loves it. It's a great family puzzle - and its large pieces are quite durable. Highly recommendable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This boxed set of four puzzles deserves rave reviews. Each of the 6-by-8-inchdinosaur pictures is vivid, colorful, and well-detailed, making them a pleasure to behold.(For instance, the triceratops is shown standing in front of a gorgeous cascadingwaterfall.) But more significantly, this set is a pleasure to hold--each woodenpiece is smooth, well-sanded, and has a glossy, protective coating over the picture. Infact, Waldorf educators believe in offering young children these kinds of high-quality,beautiful toys made of natural materials because they are so satisfying to touch and workwith. Don't worry about getting the pieces to different puzzles mixed up. Each piece hasa coded symbol on the back, so children can easily sort and put them in the rightcompartment. --Hannah Reynolds ... Read more

Reviews (7)

if your child loves dinosaurs...
This is a great toy! My son loved dinosaurs and puzzles, so this was the perfect toy. He would do them again and again. He was only 3 years old when he received it for his birthday and only recently stopped playing with it(he is turning 6 next month).

Fun and Durable
These are just great. Four 12-piece puzzles made out of very durable materials (see Pros below). The sturdy wooden box has four compartments under a sliding lid. Each of the four puzzles are theme related. These four are Triceratpos, Stegasaurus, Pteranodon, and Allosaurus.

Pros:
Easy but not too-easy puzzles.
Pieces fit well together.
Nice pictures.
Sturdy container.
Each puzzle has a different shape printed on the back to make sorting the puzzles easier.
Super durable. I did not realize just how durable they were until I found a piece in my dishwasher. Even after being washed the picture was fine and the wood in perfect condition.

Cons:
It may take a few moments to figure out how to fit an entire puzzle's pieces in a single compartment.
Lid does not lock closed.

My kids love these and you will too.

Great for fine motor skills and busy young minds
The company gets kudos for stamping different symbols on the back of puzzles to help adults sort the four puzzles apart. This toy is fantastic and will likely be done over and over again with plenty of wonder each time. Only complaint is that pieces sometimes stick together and eager hands may apply too much pressure. We know they will eventually break, but the price is tremendous given the amount of attention the puzzles have commanded.

Great little puzzles
We have 3 different sets of these puzzle boxes and my 3 1/2 year old loves them ALL. He is very quick with puzzles and he likes to do all four in the box before he takes them apart. Since all the part are made of wood, these hold up well. We have never had a product from this company that we were not very pleased with. The little stamped shapes on the back make sorting out the different puzzles quick and easy.

Dinosaur puzzles turn into a game..
The sturdy wooden pieces of this puzzle are great for my 4 and 5 year olds. (It didn't damage the puzzle when pieces were put together wrong). The three of us sit together on the floor rotating each puzzle until completed.We talk about the dinosaurs and help each other put the puzzles together. This toy keeps us busy and it's fun to "play" puzzles. Believe it or not it's as fun to put away - each individual puzzle has a differnt shape on the back of each piece. You can turn the pieces over and collect all of the circles, diamonds, squares, and triangles then put them in their own spot in the wooden container The pictures of dinosaurs are great. Fun every time we play! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

beautiful but not durable
My son got this yesterday and instantly fell in love with the toy. He loves to open the locks, see what is inside the doors and just adores it. Also, my eight year old got a kick out of it and he is ADHD. It takes a bit more to keep him still. But, I was disapointed when the combination lock fell apart and the spring came out. My son was unable to open the lock after that and we had to fix it to stay open permenantly since I don't want to take it away and send it back for a replacement. My son is only two and half. He would be very mad at me.

perfect gift
I bought this has a Christmas gift for a 2 & 1/2yr old boy. He loved unlocking real doors, playing with keys & seeing how locks worked so I figured this would be the perfect gift. He normally has a pretty short attention span, and doesn't play with one thing for more then a few minutes. But, not this! After he opened this gift, he could care less about the others that still needed to be unwrapped. For the first 30 minutes, he wouldn't even look up from the puzzle. He played with it almost for a straight hour, and after that still kept going back to play with it for 15-20minutes at time. His older cousins (10 & 12) loved helping him with the more diffcult locks (the luggage lock was very tricky, since they locked the instructions underneath. The code ended up being a simple 1-2-3) The keys stay attached to the boards so you don't have to worry about losing them. This is a perfect gift for any little one that loves puzzles. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

HE'S LEARNING TO SPELL!
I recently purchased this puzzle for my toddler son. When I received it, I was disappointed with the small pieces and was going to send it back. I did, however, keep it because I thought the educational value may prove more important than the size of the puzzle.

Boy, was I right on that! My son truly enjoys putting together these mini-puzzles and on his own. He's only two, but loves his letters and shows interest in words. He's actually learning to spell! And I love the fact that the puzzle is self-correcting; he knows a word is spelt correctly if the puzzle is complete.

Toddlers who like puzzles will love this
My son started this puzzle at age 2 and really enjoyed putting every set of words together and would not stop until every one was complete. He has always enjoyed puzzles. I would put the letters in groups so that each pile would complete a word.
Now that he is a little over 2 1/2 I can just let him search the whole box for the letters and match them up himself. I highly recommend it because after each individual puzzle is complete you can have your child spell it to you to continue the learning!

Too many pieces
There are too many pieces to this puzzle..My son knows all his letters and can spell some words (he is 3) so I guess this was too advanced for him because the pieces were everywhere..I think this would be more beneficial if the letters were grouped in at least two to three per piece versus one puzzle piece per letter.

Visual & Tactile Learning
This set of 21 small puzzles (average size of each is about 4"x4") offer learning to spell in a unique and fun way. Made out of material similar to an adult jigsaw puzzle, each interlocking puzzle piece (size about 3x1.5) features a letter and a part of the object that the word spells. For instance, in the pig puzzle, the letter "P" also has the pig's head on it, the letter "I" has the pig's body, and the "G" has the pig's back end. The puzzle cannot be put together incorrectly, assuring that your child is learning the correct spelling and associating the word with the object. The 21 puzzles include 3 three letter words, 4 four letter words, 11 five letter words, and 3 six letter words. My two year old who knows his alphabet is enjoying playing with these puzzles (3 & 4 letter words) and beginning to learn the concept that letters make up words and how those letters are arranged determines what word is conveyed. The age recommendations on the box are 4-7, with a choking warning for those under three. Obviously each child is different but if you are beginning phonics and spelling lessons, and your child enjoys puzzles (and does not put them in the mouth!), this is a great tool. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great toy for developing different skills!
We first learned about this puzzle when our son's speech therapist brought it over one day. He loved it so much we had to rush out to buy it! He started playing with it at 18 months and is now almost three and still loves it. During this time, he has played with it in so many different ways. First, he enjoyed playing peekaboo with it. Then, he progressed to knocking on the door and asking if anyone was home. He also finds it hysterical when you put the pieces in the wrong places. It's been a great tool for us to encourage his language development, not to mention that it's lots of fun too.

Great toy!!
My 16-month old received this toy as a gift and he loves it! It keeps his attention, and he comes back to it every day. A few of the pieces are small, so we must watch him closely while he plays with it.

Fun
My son is 18 months old and he loves this toy. He puts the pieces on the fridge. He spents a lot of time with this toy.

My 12 month old loves this toy
Although the toy is listed as appropriate for 3-6y.o. I purchased this toy for my 12m.o. It quickly became a favorite and has helped teach concepts of open & close, learning new words, etc. I would caution that the pictures on the magnets behind the doors are paper. Because the toy is so loved pieces are often chewed on. This has messed up some of the pictures. Also because some of the magnets are small close supervision is needed. If you like this toy Lights, Camera, Interaction! has a similar toy called the "Latches Board" with different hooks and clasps.

My 20-month old LOVES this puzzle
She seems to enjoy it very much. It is one of the few things that keeps her attention for longer than a minute or two. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun and Durable
These are just great. Four 12-piece puzzles made out of very durable materials (see Pros below). The sturdy wooden box has four compartments under a sliding lid. Each of the four puzzles are theme related. These four are Kitten, Puppy, Bunny, and Pony (there are two different sets with the same animals but different pictures).

Pros:
Easy but not too-easy puzzles.
Pieces fit well together.
Nice pictures.
Sturdy container.
Each puzzle has a different shape printed on the back to make sorting the puzzles easier.
Super durable. I did not realize just how durable they were until I found a piece in my dishwasher. Even after being washed the picture was fine and the wood in perfect condition.

Cons:
It may take a few moments to figure out how to fit an entire puzzle's pieces in a single compartment.
Lid does not lock closed.

My kids love these and you will too. ... Read more

Editorial Review

These two durable puzzles will help your child learn letters and numbers.Made of multilayered cardboard on a wood base, the frames for these two puzzles--ingreen and red, respectively--will last for some time. The letters and numbers are alsomade from the same multilayered cardboard and resist bending or other damage. Withtheir bright colors, these puzzles are sure to please. (For ages 2 and older) --HeatherHawkins ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Uh, boooring.
I have 3 kids under 5. We've had this toy for 4 years, and they don't even bat an eye at it. We've tried everything to draw attention to this item, but it is either too advanced for even an alphabet-loving 5-year old, or it is boring. I thought it was fun, but my kids don't agree.

GREAT IDEA!
I loved this puzzle the minute I went on to this site and found it. It is high in teaching kids dexterity, hand-eye coordination, working with phonics, matching pictures to their background, and learning the alphabet. I love it because there are no pieces to get lost. It will be enough to challenge my 3 year old and as she grows with it; it will be enjoyable to do it. She loves puzzles but I was never able to bring them into the car because the pieces are never attached. This one is different and will definitely be going on vacations, grandma's, and to the doctor's office. I also like the fact that it is 2 different puzzles. They can flip to the other side and they still have to figure the puzzle out. This puzzle is a class act all the way. Makes a great gift!

A to Z--Puzzling Every Pleasure
Design genius. The puzzle is a sensory delight: scooting the litttle wooden pieces (can be more fun than cars) teaches decision making (the child must move the violin to get the whale in the right place, etc.). It is more amusing and challenging than the memorization that occurs after the second time through conventional jigsaw puzzles. It will be passed down through generations of kids, with no irritating cartoon character, no marketing cat plastered on it. Who wouldn't love a complex puzzle you can pick up in one stroke? Irresistable to adults and kids.

great puzzle for trips
I stumbled upon this puzzle while looking for activities for both my children for a rather long car trip. (I like to give them new and exciting items to explore throughout the trip.) I loved the fact that all the pieces are actually attached to the puzzle. You don't have to worry about a piece getting lost or one falling out of the car. It's like you get two puzzles for the price of one...if you get tired of one side you can flip it over and work on the other part of the alphabet. It is also nice because the item has a "hint" (a bit of the background) to help know where it belongs. Another feature I like is that when one side is completed and you flip it over, the items are not automatically where they should be on the other side. I originally purchased this puzzle for my 20 month old, because of the manipulation of the pieces through the mazes...not because I expect him to learn his alphabet at such a tender age! I have found my daughter (5 years) also enjoying matching the items with their appropriate letter. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

warped puzzle
My son likes this puzzle (because he likes Dora) but the pieces are curled and hard to fit together. It is almost impossible to put the entire puzzle together without the pieces coming apart. ... Read more