Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Shark 100 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My daughter is on a shark frenzy. Everything has to be a shark. One item that I bought her for Christmas is this puzzle by Melissa and Doug of a majestic (but, for me, paralyzingly terrifying) shark surrounded by some little sea life in what looks like a reef, all held, presumably, in an aquarium. It contains 100 pieces, so the pieces are large enough for fine motor coordination of an older elementary aged child. It is sufficiently diverse figure - ground so that children can perceptually analyze and assemble a gestalt. Other than than the scary shark (sharks and snakes do it to me :( ) I believe that this image is very attractive. As an adult, I'm not THE best puzzle assembler, but, this one provides some challenge. I believe that this puzzle provides educational values - visual problem solving, fine motor coordination, viewing the small problem while also maintaining sight on the whole, how to attack a problem (corners, edges ...), and then, of course, all of the diversity of species, how they interact in nature, and how we set up tanks for the mutual benefit of the selection of species. There are so many avenues of discussion for parents and children that this alone can become a half-day's event. Now, I bring the internet with me everywhere, so I'm better prepared for those difficult questions. I believe that the puzzle pieces are clearly cut out and they fit snuggly together. It seems to be produced by quality craftsmanship using quality materials. I believe that it is quite durable, although a puzzle and an energetic little girl can lead to a lost piece, usually in the middle of the puzzle! I recommend this puzzle for curators of marine institutes, children's museums, science museums, aquariums, libraries - both public and school, as well as home enthusiasts. For folks intrigued and not frightened by sharks, this is an excellent purchase. I give everything a grade, and this puzzle I believe is overall worth an "A-".

This is the second 100 piece puzzle we bought for our 5/6 yr old. This one was far tougher than the solar system puzzle we'd purchased previously. Still, it was a lot of fun putting it together as a family. It certainly provides an opportunity to encourage patience and endurance.

My 5-turned-6 year old really enjoyed putting this puzzle together. It's a little tricky, but the image is great and the pieces are thick and durable.

This is a tricky puzzle, even for me. I think it may have been too hard for my preschooler, but it is something we can work on together.

Very challenging puzzle my four year old had a time with this one. All the pieces are pretty much the same color or color scheme.

This was a great gift - my nephew loved it - kept him occupied for hours as he put it together, took it apart and put it back together

Was a gift for my son and he loved it. He is so into sharks and this was the best gift ever.

Purchased for young boy (5yrs) as sharks are usually a good 'boy' thing to be interested in. Thoroughly enjoy making this puzzle. Would recommend.

My son loves this puzzle and it keeps him busy for quite some time. It is pretty thick compared to other puzzles we own and has a lot of pieces.
overall a good puzzle for the price.

Convenient, quick delivery. Hard to find 100-piece puzzles, and this one was less expensive than other M & D puzzles by almost $3.00.