Melissa & Doug USA Map Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
- For ages 5 and above
- Dimensions: 12 x 18 in.
- Wood pieces shaped like each state
- Each piece features state nicknames on front
- State population, motto, size, capital and year of statehood featured on back
Challenge your child’s geography skills with this United States wooden map puzzle. It features colorfully illustrated pieces in the shape of each state. The pieces lay in a wooden tray that have the capitals and each state’s outline under the pieces to aid your child in learning. Also includes each state’s nickname on the front and state facts on the back like population, motto, size, capital and year of statehood. Measures 12″ x 18″.
Melissa & Doug USA Map Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
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Great Educational Toy!,
I bought this for my son’s 5th Birthday and he loves it! He wants to put it together every single day and is getting better and better at recognizing the states’ names and their geographical locations. Next up…the capitals! I recommend this to all parents concerned that their children aren’t learning US geography as they should. And I confess that this puzzle has certainly helped refresh my memory of the states and their capitals, too.
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|Not so deluxe,
The only thing deluxe about this puzzle is the fact that it’s made of heavy duty wood, so it’s very durable. My son has had this puzzle since he was 3, and he is still enjoying it at age 5. He likes it very much and has learned a lot about states from using it. However, I think any states puzzle would be educational and fun. A person should rate the puzzle against other similar toys, and this one could use a lot of improvement.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the shape of Michigan (and Maryland) is cut wrong, many New England states are bunched together into big clumps, all I’m assuming so that the puzzle is easier for little tykes. The capitals are only shown under the pieces. They chose to put the nicknames of the states on the front of the pieces instead, and only some of the states merited a picture of something associated with that state. Many have no picture at all, or in the case of Hawaii, the picture actually obscures the shape of the islands that make up that state. The bold black outlines of each state just make for ambiguous or even inaccurate borders and no way to see which borders are actually natural boundaries like rivers. I find myself wishing I still had my little cardboard puzzle from my childhood, which had more accurate rendering of all the political boundaries, each state cut out separately, and all capitals located on the front of each piece with its star in the right location. I’m looking forward to when my son will graduate to a big boy states puzzle.
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|Sparks interest in geography,
I bought this for my daughter two years ago, when she turned 5-years-old. Within a week, she knew her states and capitols. What a great learning tool. She was the only student in her Kindergarten class who knew her capitols – not because we drilled her with them, but because she couldn’t get enough of this puzzle! She is the oldest of my 3 children, and her siblings, ages 5 and 3, are both learning states, too. It is a good, solid, learning piece, that doesn’t rely on a bunch of bells and whistles to keep kids interested. Best of all, it may be the only puzzle my kids have loved enough to make sure they never lose a piece!!! It’s probably the best toy I’ve ever bought my children, and has withstood the test of time. I highly recommend it.
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