Orchard Toys Animal World Jigsaw Puzzle Review

Reviewed by Alice Dixon

We’ve encouraged our sons to complete jigsaw puzzles since they were very small, beginning with simple two or three pieces to slot together. Jigsaws are a great way to develop hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. I’ve also found them a great way to help my sons concentration. As my children have grown so has their love of jigsaw puzzles especially my youngest son. Completing jigsaw puzzles has become a regular part of our Sunday afternoons together as a family. We always have a large puzzle on the go and we all help. As well as this my youngest son, aged 7, also likes to get jigsaws of his own suitable for his own age as he really likes the challenge of completing them by himself. He regularly completes 100 piece ones but he can now easily complete these when he gets home from school. As he’s looking for more of a challenge, he was delighted that we received a new jigsaw puzzle from Orchard Toys.

I’ve already bought many games from Orchard Toys over the years. Their board games are always fun, good quality and teach subjects and skills. I also find they have games suitable for every age group. However we have not tried an Orchard Toys jigsaw before.

We were sent the Animal World Jigsaw Puzzle which is 150 pieces and suitable for ages 5-10 years. My son was instantly delighted when we opened the parcel as he’s an animal lover and is fascinated by all wildlife, always wanting to learn more about them.

The jigsaw arrived in a fairly large cardboard box which depicts the image of the puzzle. I soon realised this is because the jigsaw pieces are quite large, around the size of the palm of your hand. This meant that the puzzle is big when it’s completed so we needed a large space to put it together. The large pieces are really ideal though for younger children. They are easier to hold and less likely to get misplaced. I also noticed the pieces are well made. They are quite tough and robust and easily clip together. Again this makes it ideal for younger children. My son was happy it slotted together well. He’s attempted other jigsaws and found it frustrating when the pieces only loosely join.

The jigsaw puzzle itself is absolutely gorgeous. It depicts a map of the world and is covered in 117 different animals, all placed in the countries where they live. I let my son do the jigsaw independently but I sat with him as there were so many animals to spot, it opened up a lot of discussion. My son liked pointing out the animals he knows the names of and telling me all about his favourites and what continents they live in. He was also fascinated by some of the more unusual animals he didn’t know the names of. However the jigsaw also comes with a 20 page fact book with images, descriptions and information about all 117 animals! We both found this interesting to read and learnt a lot of new facts. Finally, inside the box was a giant poster with the same image as the puzzle. We of course had to put it straight up on his bedroom wall. It’s now the pride of place above his bed.

Overall I am so pleased with the Animal World jigsaw puzzle. Retailing at £16.00 I feel it’s certainly a worthwhile buy. If you have younger children it’s great for refining physical skills and learning names of animals. For older children it’s ideal for further discussion into animals and habitats. Whatever age the children are, it’s a great product for learning from home that is hands on, fun and educational. I even learnt a few new facts myself!

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £16.00

This product can be purchased from the Orchard Toys Website here.