Amazon.com Teacher Review
Find your way across the U.S. and back home again with this giant-size floor puzzle for kids ages 3 to 10. The completed puzzle is 2 by 3 feet, with a white background surrounding the continental U.S., and Alaska and Hawaii off to one side. A list of state capitals is also included in another corner. The puzzle pieces are each about 4 by 6 inches and made from thick, laminated cardboard with a wipe-clean surface. Each state includes the state name in capital letters, the state nickname (the Lone Star State, for example), and a couple of icons for that state (a 10-gallon hat, cowboy boots, and a star for Texas). This puzzle would be a good choice for a family with preschool or early-elementary-age children, because the puzzle could be used by parents with their children for several years: first to show your state and your neighboring states, and then as a completed map of the whole country to identify the location of states. Next, the kids can put the puzzle together themselves, and in fourth or fifth grades, they can use it to memorize those state capitals. This puzzle is a good choice for the classroom or for homeschooling.
--Marcie Bovetz is a former children's librarian and senior editor in educational publishing, as well as the author of 41 children's books. She has three teenagers in her family.
Product Description
Geography comes to life in this jumbo-sized floor puzzle, featuring 48 heavy-grade cardboard pieces that are 20% thicker than the competition's---and coated on both sides for added durability! Kids will have fun learning the states and capitals on this artistically detailed, highly informative map puzzle. Size: 24 x 36
