I love jigsaws and MissB is just reaching the age where she can handle proper jigsaws, so when Orchard Toys asked us if we would like to review their brand new Jungle Express Puzzle, I was delighted to be able to help :)

Jungle Express is a fabulous, bright coloured 30 piece jigsaw puzzle which measures a whopping 34.6×11.9inches which makes it an ideal size for MissB at the moment. It is aimed at aged 3-6 and with MissB fast approaching 3 it is just right for her. The puzzle has been cleverly designed to encourage early learning and you can tell just by looking at it, that a lot of thought has gone into the design. Everything from the numbers on the carriages to the number of animals in each carriage has been thought out to:

  • Develop counting and number skills.
  • Develop hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills.
  • Help compare, discuss and investigate.
  • Link with Early Learning Goals and National Curriculum Key Stage 1.

The back of the box also contains further information for parents/carers to enable you to get the most out of the puzzle such as talking points and questions to ask – such as “Are there more giraffes or lions on the train?” etc
20120906-141104.jpgI particularly love how busy the puzzle is, with MissB we often sit looking at books and puzzles and trying to spot different things and this puzzle is fab for that. From counting the butterflies to identifying what colour carriage the crocodiles are riding in. It’s also easy enough for her to put together (with a little help from mummy). I should note that the puzzle is made of thick card which does make it durable in the hands of a 3 year old, but be warned if you happen to have an 18 month year old also hanging around as MasterB has a habit of trying to eat stray puzzle pieces and a couple of them are now a little chewed around the edges ;)
20120906-141154.jpg
Myself and MissB absolutely love this puzzle and we’ve spent the last few evenings sitting doing it before bed together. It has a RRP of £9.75 which I think is pretty good value for a beautiful puzzle which will keep your preschooler entertained for hours. Definitely something to consider as a stocking filler for Christmas :)