Monkey Around

On July 14, 2022July 13, 2022 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Monkey Around – RoseArt – 100 pieces

This was a quick, engrossing puzzle, but not easy at all. I really liked this one even though the image isn’t something I would normally choose; it was much more entertaining than I thought it would be.

The pieces were on the thinner side, but the fit was good and the image reproduction was excellent. There was no variety in piece shape, but with only 100 pieces it wasn’t bad to work with at all.

I almost always enjoy working with kids puzzles, any size puzzle is fun for me! 🧩💚

Dinosaur Alphabet

On April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles4 Comments

Dinosaur Alphabet by Karen Rossi – Ravensburger – 60 pieces

This artwork isn’t my favorite color scheme, it’s slightly washed out and dull – but it was a fun little kids puzzle that went together quickly. As an added bonus I learned the names of a few dinosaurs that I’d never heard of before. I just love learning new things! 😁

It had a loose fit, but has also been a very well-loved puzzle that seems to have been assembled many times. The previous owners seem to have been quite organized too. There was an X written inside the box, and an X on every piece; if piece(s) got loose you would know which puzzle they belong to and which box to put them in – great idea for kids puzzles if you ask me.

The last three letters were dinosaurs I’d never heard of before. I’ve done my share of dinosaur puzzles and I don’t recall ever seeing these names. Very cool!

Many of the words that the letters represented were put into the image in the middle to pull it all together. Overall just a great puzzle for kids; the image, the information, and the quality.

Woodstock Love

On March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles6 Comments

Woodstock Love – Cra-Z-Art – 100 pieces

This cute little puzzle was one I bought new for myself quite a while ago. Normally I acquire children’s puzzles from the thrift stores only – but there was something about this one that caught my eye. It was quick to go together, but thoroughly entertaining.

It was excellent quality for a Cra-Z-Art puzzle, much nicer than I anticipated. The pieces were thick, they had a great fit, and the reproduction was stellar with crisp lines and bright colors. The pieces were almost all ballerinas, but there was such a variety in the shape of each one that it didn’t seem boring or tedious. Overall it was one of the nicest puzzles from this brand that I’ve done.

Stevie the Hedgehog

On December 16, 2021December 16, 2021 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

Stevie the Hedgehog by John Francis – Wentworth – 15 pieces

Of the three kid’s puzzles I got from Wentworth, this is the one I’m keeping….for now. He’s too cute for me to give away just yet. Besides, it’s always a good idea to have an extra gift hanging around the house for emergencies.

Stevie is absolutely adorable, and he was a lot of fun to assemble too. The extra big pieces, bright colors, and sweet image made for a great time; Wentworth did such a great job with these puzzles for children, they’re truly lovely.

It makes me wish my kids were still little so I could do these puzzles with them. We would have had so much fun with these. (I miss my kids being little 😭)

Such great whimsies, all ones that even young children will recognize. A snowman and Santa are pretty easy to spot, and there’s also a little representation of Stevie himself. Adorable!

Wanted to show you the extra large pieces that are easier for little hands to hold and work with. Mom always said to give a reference when a puzzle was larger or smaller than normal, so that people can appreciate the actual size. When you see this piece in my hand you can tell that this is a puzzle with extremely big pieces made especially for children.

I loved this one! 🦔💖

Jamie the Polar Bear

On November 17, 2021November 17, 2021 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Jamie the Polar Bear by John Francis – Wentworth – 15 pieces

This was the first of the kids puzzles from Wentworth that I assembled; it was delightful to work with the large pieces and bright colors to put together this adorable ice skating polar bear. Funny though, he doesn’t look like a Jamie to me; he looks like a Michael – but his parents call him Mikey. Then again, who am I to challenge the artist? He says Jamie, so Jamie it is.

It’s a good thing I have some young children in my life to gift these puzzles to, otherwise it would just be idiot me with kids puzzles that were ordered because I failed to make sure what exactly I was purchasing. I’m not that upset with myself though, these are the first premium wooden puzzles for young kids that I’ve ever tried, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to put them together. (I’m not counting those wooden puzzles in a wooden tray that are mass produced, although those can be good quality as well)

The whimsies are very cute, although I might be worried about the snowman’s pointy nose if I were a mom. But, if my children had this beautiful puzzle when they were little they would only be playing with it when they were being supervised by an adult. Because these puzzles can last for years if they’re taken care of and treated well. The cardboard box they came in might be a little worse for wear after a while, but the puzzle will definitely last.