Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Alphabet Art Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This puzzle succeeds on many levels. It is a great way for a kid to learn the alphabet; the C is designed like a carrot, the H like a horse, etc. And for an adult it just looks great. Obviously a lot of care and thought went into the design. And it's assembled by hand as well. It's quite a bargain for the quality. It's a modern toy that harkens back to the days when everything was built with care.

I bought this for my son, 22 months. He LOVES it. He had already started recognizing some of his letters from a video he watches, but this puzzle reinforced things. The pictures on each letter and underneath are nice but some of the designs chosen to represent the letter are not the norm. Like "J" is for "jelly beans" and "N" is for "nuts" and "Q" is a "quail". I have been amazed to watch him say the letter and put it in the proper place. I would definitely buy this as a gift for another child and recommend parents buy it.

My 21-month-old knows the alphabet now, thanks to this puzzle. I had bought her lots of alphabet books and toys but she liked this puzzle the best. She loved the way an alligator curled around to form the "A", and the way the piano keys formed the letter "P", and so on. The puzzle is beautifully designed and durable too. I bought extras to give to my nieces.

I bought this for my daughter when she was 2. She learned very quickly to associate the alphabets to the pictures representing each letter. I believe the puzzle is a great learning tool for early childhood education. My daughter was able to recognize letters because not only was she handling the pieces of the puzzle but able to visualize what they represent. Only a couple of the pictures would be hard for a young child to grasp, i.e. "G" for "globe". Overall, I think it is great for many children and gifts for others.

In shopping for puzzles over the last few years I've noticed that the manufacture's age recommendations seem to be a bit off. When puzzles are too advanced, the simple solution is to put it up for a later date; however, when they are too simple, they're a waste of money. Unfortunately, the Alphabet Art Puzzle was one of those disappointments.

The puzzle encourages thinking, and matching, but I'm not sure it helped to teach the alphabet. In addition, some of the images are too goofy for this age group. For instance, a piece of Rope is shaped into the letter "R," but a 3-year old don't associate with such a thing. Another example of this, is the letter "Y" for Yarn. Wouldn't a Yo Yo be a better solution? The raised pieces do offer a new motor challenge from plastic knobs, but they are too shallow for the board. I can't seem to move this puzzle without dropping several pieces on the floor. My son found this frustrating as well.

What's more, I think the age recommendation needs to be adjusted. I purchased the Alphabet Art Puzzle when my son was 2-years and 4-months old. It's recommended for children 3-years and up, so I thought it would make a good choice. It didn't challenge him at all. The second time he worked it, he completed it in less than 4-minutes by himself. That said, my son has benefited from the puzzle. He likes working it, and continues to ask questions about the pictures. I recommend it for children 18-months and up, as they will find it more challenging than a 3-year old.

this puzzel is great!.My son has been playing w/ this since christmas. Very educational w/ alphabet,animals,problem solving skills and fine motor. Every child should have one.

My kids (6,5 and 3) all love this puzzle. We all enjoy the art work on the letters being different than the normal examples ( Y has yarn, N has nuts). My daughter just leaves this puzzle out on her shelf because she likes to look at it. My 6 year old still likes it because it is not as babyish as most alphabet puzzles. We have had this puzzle for 5 years and have had no problems with wear and tear issues.

I am so glad I bought this puzzle for my 3 year old! The pieces have the most beautiful pictures on them and the larger sized pieces are just right for toddler hands. This is one of those toys that you'll want to keep forever.

I must admit I am biased toward Lights, Camera, Interaction toys. My daughter has several of this line's toys and for the greater part we have been very pleased with the durability and educational factor of their products. The same goes for this alphabet puzzle. Even though the raised letters do not have pegs they are easily removed from the board. I like that the examples for the letters are not your general toddler "cat" and "balloon" icons, which broaden their understanding of the letters. I sing the "ABC" song to my daughter while I point to the letters and then practice pronouncing the words to the pictures and alphabet. A great hands-on way for little ones to learn the alphabet besides from the TV!

My 3 year old son loves this puzzle. He discovered it in a doctor's office and I had to look until I found him one.