Showing posts with label Jigsaw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jigsaw. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jigsaw Puzzles For Sale - Using Your Old Photographs

Do you have special photographs you would like to share as gifts and make into jigsaw puzzles? If so there are many companies on the internet with some that specialize in making them from any photograph you can provide.

Finding your special photographs from a child's birthday party, recent vacation or a special event like a wedding or birth of a child then having them made into puzzles that can be put solved over and over again will provide you with hours of fun and entertainment. They will bring back memories of those special moments for you to relive again and again. There are many internet resellers that will create them from your special photographs. These internet resellers which offer custom ones can make your special puzzle in a variety of pieces, sizes, shapes and difficulty levels. They even provide get different types of finishes for your custom ones to include many durable materials for easy cleaning to finishes ready for matting or framing.

Custom made ones are a great gift idea for any special occasion. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to find a new and exciting gift idea for your friend or family member. If you have this problem with a friend or family member you should make that person a puzzle from a special picture of their pet, or favorite vacation spot, or a picture of their children or grandchildren? When someone receives one that is customized especially for them, they will appreciate it more than an ordinary gift purchased. They will bring smiles and sometimes tears to the faces of your loved one, and their very own one will provide them with hours of relaxing entertainment. They are a unique ideal gift for the young and old alike.

Whether purchasing a standard puzzle or one that is customize for gift to a loved one or for yourself, you will be able to find reseller companies on the internet which provide all types of jigsaw puzzles for sale.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Jigsaw Puzzles - Best Way to Keep Your Babies Creative and Brilliant!

People are making a rapid progress in every aspect of life and completion is increasing day by day. It has become quite difficult to find a good job and even the studies are also becoming very difficult and technical. In this era of competition it has become an essential need of people to keep them updated from everything. Besides, billions of people are also taking proper care of their children to help them to face every kind of technical field in future.

Therefore, a lot of creative tasks are available of youngsters that are very helpful to sharpen their mind and abilities. If you are also looking for some kind of recreational activities for your children to make them creative then you have come to the right place. Though, there are dozens of activities that play a vital role to sharpen the mind of your child but in this article I will only discuss about jigsaw puzzle.

There are several kinds of puzzles available but the most common and famous one of all jigsaw's is the one in which a player has to arrange a photo. There are dozens of companies that allow you to purchase different types of puzzles. Moreover, if you are interested to make a puzzle of your own picture then they can also help you in this matter. All you have to do is to contact them through mail and send them your desired photograph which you want to convert in a jigsaw puzzle.

Moreover, you can also choose the pieces of puzzle according to your own choice and style. Thus, you can easily buy such type of creative products from online and local stores at very affordable rates. All you have to do is to find trustworthy dealers of such products. For further details regarding jigsaw puzzles, I will suggest you to follow the links given below.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Pre-Trip Check List

Need a checklist of pre-trip?

Here are my suggestions to get started ...

One month before:

If you do not already have one, enter an e-mail to stay in touch. To keep in touch throughout the world, I use a Yahoo email address. Since Yahoo is accessible from any computer in the world, so is my e-mail. If you set up a new account, use only letters and numbers in your ID and password. Make your own list of contacts. There have been times when I had trouble findingsymbols on foreign keyboards including the @ sign.

I scan my important documents and email them to my Yahoo address. If I need a copy, I can access them through my email account

Make sure your ATM card uses a 4 digit pin. And learn your pin by the numbers, not letters. Many international ATM machines have only digits on them.

Call your bank and credit card companies and let them know you'll be away and where. Carry more than one credit card in case of an emergency.

For a money pouch, I use Magellan's Deluxe Secret Waist Wallet. I find it very comfortable and easily accessible.

Be sure to check the condition of your luggage and replace it if necessary. Distinguish it in some way: yarn bow on the handles, colored tape along the sides, neon luggage straps

Make copies of your itinerary to put into your suitcase.

Learn how to make overseas calls from the country you will be visiting. If you want to take your cell phone, call your cell phone provider for information.

If you have a pet, make pet sitting arrangements.

Confirm all your reservations. If this is a car trip, take your car in for a checkup.

Check your wardrobe. Do you have the right clothes for your trip? If not, time to go shopping

One week ahead:

Put your newspaper on vacation stop.

Put your mail on hold or arrange for someone to pick it up.

Prepare emergency contact information to leave with friends and neighbors.

Check Your medications. Do you have enough for your trip and possible delays in emergency?

By public transportation? Plan your trip airport / train station / port / etc

Gather all the documents in one place. Put copies in a different place.

Get your camera and accessories ready. Enter your camera's manual and extra batteries for the charger. Read the fine print on the back of the charger.
Most of the taxes now working with two streams and that's itneed to bring outlet adapters.

Two days ahead:

Attach your lights to timers.

Put together a 'keep busy' kit for you and everyone traveling with you: books, puzzles, toys, etc

Check out the weather, at your destination, to make sure you are bringing the right clothes.

Eat or give away the perishables that are in your refrigerator.

Your carry on bag should be packed with medications and anything else that will not be easily replaceable at your destination.

Prepare the cash for your trip. If traveling domestically, traveler's checks are OK but internationally they can be very hard to convert. The ATM machine, in general, is the best way to get local currency

One day ahead:

Take your pet to the kennel, or if staying in the house, confirm arrangements with pet sitter.

Water your plants.

Adjust the a/c or heat appropriately

If traveling domestically, print out your boarding passes.

Include some snacks in your carryon, especially if traveling in the US where the airlines don't feed us anymore.

Set your alarm and get a good night's sleep.

Friday, December 31, 2010

Jigsaw Puzzle Games Help Kids Develop Cognitive Skills

A jigsaw puzzle can provide long-lasting entertainment and numerous benefits of promoting the cognitive development of children of all ages.

Puzzle solving activities can start at very early ages and continue as children get older. There are puzzles designed just for toddlers, with large wooden puzzle pieces or other durable puzzle games. For toddlers and preschool kids, solving a jigsaw puzzle helps improve basic skills such as hand-eye coordination because it requires the child to manipulate relatively small objects and to place those objects in specific places.

The benefits can continue into preteen, teen, and adult years with more challenging puzzles that require more advanced coordination as well as other benefits. As kids get older, they can advance to more challenging puzzles, which include a larger number of smaller pieces and more complex color patterns. For older kids, solving puzzle games can help develop analytical skills, communication and collaboration, logic and attention to details.

Puzzle games also improve a child's spatial skills. Solving a jigsaw puzzle requires the child to visualize a puzzle piece, and then to mentally rotate the puzzle piece up to 360 degrees to find that piece's accurate fit. This forces the child to move away from concrete thoughts and into a realm of abstract thoughts. He has to imagine the results of an action (in this case, the results of rotating a puzzle piece) not unlike a game of chess.

Puzzle solving improves a child's problem-solving and reasoning skills. The child is repeatedly presented with a problem while solving a jigsaw puzzle: how to make a particular piece fit into the overall puzzle. He will have to evaluate the shape of the puzzle as well as any colors or patterns presented on the puzzle, relative to the other pieces on the game board. He may have to flip or rotate the piece to make it fit. In some cases, he may have to flip or rotate the piece several times before he finds its place in the puzzle. Successfully solving this problem can give children the confidence to attempt more challenging puzzles.

A less-often recognized cognitive benefit of jigsaw puzzles is the picture on the puzzle. For example, solving a puzzle with a picture of the United States will familiarize a child with the geography of the United States. Jigsaw puzzles can also familiarize a child with a scene from history or literature. There is a great variety of puzzles available today making it easier than ever to find ones with an educational theme that appeals to your child. Themes include horse breeds, astronomy, trains, bible stories and more. Even text printed over a puzzle picture is learned particularly well, as a child is often required to study and read the final picture and the individual pieces repeatedly in order to solve the puzzle.

Often, solving a jigsaw puzzle will spark an interest in other types of problem-solving tasks and puzzle games, such as crosswords or word puzzles. However, the cognitive benefits of jigsaws alone cannot be discounted. These skills will overlap into many other areas of the child's life.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Unique Jigsaws - What Makes a Jigsaw Puzzle Different?

What makes a jigsaw unique?
Unique means unparalleled, having no equal, the only one.
The elements of a jigsaw that can make it unique are:
The image.
The cut pattern.
The type of material.
2D or 3D
Limited edition.

Hand cut jigsaws are certainly unique. Usually only one jigsaw is cut and certainly when my father and great uncle cut their jigsaws by hand, they cut the only copy of the image. These jigsaws are unique without question. They fulfill all the definitions of unique. The cutter will choose the cut line as he/she cuts. If asked to cut the same picture again, they would take a different path.

The mass produced pressed jigsaw can not be unique even when it has a special image or is limited edition numbers. The cut pattern is used on numerous other images and the quantity produced exclude them from the definition of only one.

In the middle are the hand designed jigsaws cut on a laser. Here, a number of jigsaws can be made but the cut lines are unique because they are not used for any other image.

By hand designing the cut lines, the image is enhanced and the jigsaw created is tricky without being repetitive.

Types of cut patterns used in hand cut jigsaws.

Interlocking - similar to a normal standard jigsaw
non-interlocking - the piece shapes sit next to each other but do not lock into each other. A very old traditional way of cutting. This creates a difficult jigsaw as there is no shape recognition involved in putting the jigsaw together.
Colour line cutting - here the cut lines are placed along colour changes e.g. cutting around a person in a picture. This makes a difficult jigsaw because the jigsaw can not be put together by looking at the colours or the picture. The puzzles is reliant on the shape of the piece to work out where it goes. A small jigsaw can be very challenging when cut in this way.

The different cutting creates a different jigsaw experience for the person putting the jigsaw together. When putting together a standard interlocking jigsaw of 1000 pieces, the jigsaw is very very difficult at the beginning because the person has to search through hundreds of pieces and may have to try large numbers of different pieces before finding the right one. By the end of the jigsaw, the last pieces are very easy to put in because the image can be used and there are only a few pieces to search through.

When doing a colour line cut jigsaw, the puzzle is difficult at the start and even when down to 5 or six pieces, it can still be difficult! This is because the image is no help, the colour of one piece will not show the colour of the next adjacent piece.

The image selected for a jigsaw is extremely important. The image can be unique because it is created from someone's wedding photograph or a family picture or because the image is painted by the jigsaw cutter. Otherwise the image can be from a photographer or illustrator and will be used multiple times. The picture needs to have lots of interest throughout the area of the jigsaw with lots of colours and no big areas of one colour. It is best to select neutral images, not particularly male or female. The picture should be beautiful otherwise there is no point in recreating it. When looking at jigsaws in general, there is a laziness when choosing the image. Many companies churn out the same type of old fashioned pictures that give jigsaws a bad name.

Jigsaws are made of many different substances these days. Hand cutters still use wood as this cuts well with a treadle fret saw. Some companies use MDF despite claiming they are wooden jigsaws! 3D jigsaws are often made of plastic as the modeling process requires a material that can be deformed in all planes. With the invention of Yag lasers, metal jigsaws can be produced. Acrylic works beautifully for CO2 lasers as the cut edge is very smooth when cut in this way.

A unique jigsaw should be something the puzzler has not come across before. New ideas, tricks and surprises should be contained within the cutting. The mind set for doing the jigsaw can be unique, a colour edge cut jigsaw requires a change in how the person goes about doing the jigsaw. Looking for the shape rather than the image is unique to the colour edge cut jigsaw.

Some would claim a very difficult jigsaw is the largest jigsaw in the world or one with a totally repetitive pattern e.g. baked beans. However, a colour edge cut jigsaw is intelligently difficult, a small jigsaw with seemingly few pieces can be exceptionally difficult but challenging and great fun to complete.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Traveling to Russia and Croatia With Jigsaw Puzzles

I recently told a friend that in the last year I've traveled to ten different countries around the world. She responded quite surprised, knowing that 6 months ago I was laid off along with half my town, a product of the recession we're all facing together. I went on to explain the wonderful places I've visited, the adventures I've had, and the memories I've created as I've put together jigsaw puzzles.

For under $10, I can travel to countries all over the world as I assemble the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I've spent hours with friends traveling through Russia, France, and the United States. Just last month I traveled to Moscow, Russia where I toured the famous St. Basil's Cathedral. I marveled at the colorful spires and reverenced at the ancient history of its hallowed walls. I wondered how it is that such a marvelous building can stand as a monument to the violent conquests of Ivan the Terrible. Most of all, I loved every minute of my traveling experience while sitting in my home putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

Once my time in Russia was spent, I hopped from the Motherland to the small nation of Croatia. My first stop was in Dubrovnik, on the coast of Croatia. I visited Old Town and scoured its grand city walls. I drove along the coastline and visited the botanical gardens at the Arboretum. I visited the large Onofrio Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery, and the 15th-century Rectors' Palace. I bathed in the mild climate, peered at the subtropical vegetation, and walked its charming footpaths.

My time in Croatia and Russia was full of fond memories, and I shared them with my entire family all while enjoying the comforts of my own home. Our time putting together jigsaw puzzles has helped us get through the difficulty of losing our employment and battling the effects of the recession that can be readily seen all around us.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Toys For Toddlers - 3 Reasons Jigsaw Puzzles Are the Best Toddler Toy

When trying to find toys for toddlers there is a vast spectrum of options. One of the best toys you can get for your toddler is a jigsaw puzzle. This article will discuss 3 reasons why jigsaw puzzles are the best toddler toy.

1. Improve Motor Skills: As toddlers learn, progress and become increasingly mobile, it is important that they develop fine motor skills. Putting together jigsaw puzzles is one of the best ways they can begin using and improving this skill. Grasping small objects and manipulating them can help toddlers increase these skills dramatically.

2. Develop Cognitive Skills: Cognitive skills are the mental capabilities of learning something. By developing these skills and using games like jigsaw puzzles to do so, a toddler will be getting their brain ready for the many academic skills they will be learning later in life.

3. Enhance Hand Eye Coordination: Coordinating your eyes and hands is an important ability of guiding your hands to do what your eyes are seeing. By requiring a toddler to place a puzzle piece in an exact location, either by changing its direction or by matching colors and shapes, jigsaw puzzles are one of the best toys for toddlers that help enhance this ability.

In this article we discussed 3 reasons jigsaw puzzles are the best toddler toy. By putting puzzles together children improve motor skills, develop cognitive skills and enhance hand eye coordination. All of these skills are a necessary part of functioning well and will help them later in life when they begin their academic journey.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Jigsaw Puzzle Sale for all ages

Puzzles provide people of all ages, with hours of fun and entertainment. Whether you're working hard puzzle by yourself or with friends and family, always pleasant and relaxing. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and styles, and vary in difficulty. If you are looking for one for sale at a local department store and do not seem to find something new and exciting, maybe you can try something unique for the Internet user.

BidsInternet are endless. There are so many enigmas dealers on the Internet you can find manufacturers of a wide range of puzzles puzzles many. Most of these e-tailers to offer for sale of all types and sizes and offers usually through advertising puzzles online catalog. This catalog view images of the jigsaw puzzle, their price, the total number of items levels of difficulty andFor more information about each puzzle by the manufacturer the image on them. The retailers on-line catalog features over the Internet, are usually divided into categories so that customers can easily find the most specific enjoyed the puzzle.

The online catalogs offer puzzles that forests are among the mountains or ocean scenes, landscape, exotic destinations, pets, wild animals of the jungle, or fine art, and more. Thevarious species for sale on the Internet are endless. Internet retailers are so many variations and types of puzzles, with pieces of different styles, the number of pieces in a puzzle difficulty levels and you're sure to find one that has less matches with your interests.

The puzzles can be enjoyed at the end of the whole family for hours, days or even weeks. Most people who work regularly appointed rooms Jigsaw PuzzlesTables or places where the family can sit down and solve all the puzzles together. Solve puzzles can bring hours of fun and often a quiet and relaxed project. Solving them to forget to come with friends and family, participating years. Many Internet sellers are puzzles to sell on their website also provides, families can complete the puzzle once solved or frame. These suppliesfeatures are generally available and other activities can lead to Jigsaw Puzzle is enjoyed by all those involved in the solution. Framing your Puzzle Do you remember the fun hours spent assembled.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Daily Jigsaw Puzzle - The fascination of the puzzle online

Jigsaw Puzzle is one of the most exciting you can think of. This is a common challenge in the games can be even when you're thinking some time in search. It 's ideal for children to practice their thinking and reasoning skills. Similarly, these activities are puzzles in different styles, sizes, designs and levels of challenge, the brain, making it ideal for stimulants. Today puzzles are also included foreducational purposes, which are ideal for children's learning.

However, daily puzzles can now be played on the Internet. Today this is the influence of computers and modern technology. Similarly, a growing trend puzzles online per day you can have a much easier to solve without physically handling the pieces that you might lose him and loot. With this game, you can be updated and brought into questionvarious stages and levels, plus allows you to play and challenge other kids or people online.

In addition, this is so programmed to be ideal for use by people in different age groups. The only thing you do, the log in different places puzzle game, puzzle function. One can only begin to physically travel to play games online they had to face other challengers from around the world, not even in the effort. InIn fact, there are competitions that test the ability of the players and the extent of its reaction and thinking skills are retained. So if you decide to sharpen your skills in relation to the matter, you can play every day and infinite. In addition, there are online puzzles to determine the problem, you can spend your time spectrum of the solution. This is a great way to improve your skills and to strengthen more.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Traveling to France With Jigsaw Puzzles

This summer I went to France. What makes that trip special is the fact that I lost my job 6 months ago, and don't have much money to my name. So how is it that an unemployed man with a family can afford to travel to France? With a little imagination, a table, some popcorn, and a colorful jigsaw puzzle - anything's possible.

For under $9, I can travel to countries all over the world as I put together jigsaw puzzles. I've spent hours with family visiting Russia, France, and the United States. This summer, I found my way to France on a number of occasions. My first stop in France was to the famous Villandry castle, which was completed in 1536 during the peak of the Renaissance. This magical castle stands on grounds once inhabited by an old 7th century castle that was razed to make way for the masterpiece built by Le Breton, a French ambassador to Italy. I marveled at the grandiose edifice in all its glory. Even more, I breathed in the fragrance of the nearby gardens - much more beautiful and enjoyable than the castle itself. My favorite stop was at the vegetable garden. The contrasting colors of the leeks, the cabbages, and the carrot tops bounce of the eyelids to provide an eventful dance of color in your minds-eye view. This garden, which dates back to the middle ages came to life in the jagged puzzle pieces that lay in my hands.

Little did the monks that planted the garden hundreds of years ago know that I would be celebrating the colors and beauty of the gardens by exploring the mystery of a jigsaw puzzle. Little by little, as the puzzle pieces came together, the ornamental kitchen garden, with its many crosses and roses planted symmetrically spring to life on the cardboard frame in front of me.

My visit to France was a true adventure, and I was able to enjoy it without ever leaving the comforts of my own home and family. Though I may not have a lot of money, I can travel the world putting together jigsaw puzzles.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Dogs 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics

Dogs 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics








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Product Details


Dogs 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Finished Size: 19 1/4" X 26 5/8". Photos by Yoneo Morita


  • 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle






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Friday, May 14, 2010

The Muscular System 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics

The Muscular System 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics








gotoshop



Product Details


The Muscular System 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Finished Size: 19 1/4" X 26 5/8"


  • 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle






gotoshop

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Choppers 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics

Choppers 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics








gotoshop



Product Details


Choppers 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Finished Size: 19 1/4" X 26 5/8"


  • 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle






gotoshop

Saturday, May 1, 2010

The Stars 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics

The Stars 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Eurographics








gotoshop



Product Details


The Stars 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Finished Size: 19 1/4" X 26 5/8"


  • 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle






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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Learning Journey 48 pc Lift & Discover Jigsaw Puzzle Animal Friends Cardboard Puzzle

The Learning Journey 48 pc Lift & Discover Jigsaw Puzzle Animal Friends Cardboard Puzzle








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Product Details


These beautifully illustrated 48 piece wooden jigsaw puzzles with gloss ?nish make illustration "come to life"! The full image is also printed underneath for ease of recognition so even a younger child may assemble. Choose from one of the four colorful illustrations now available. The "talk about" puzzles encourage parent and child interaction and offer a great learning tool to stimulate talk about animals and our environment. Each jigsaw puzzle is made of quality wood construction and measures 16" X 12". Ages 3+ years.


  • 48 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
  • Bright Colorful Talk About Puzzles
  • Beautiful Lifelike Illustrations
  • Challenges Problem Solving Skills
  • Builds Self-Confidence






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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Jigsaw Puzzles For Fun - Jigsaw Puzzles For Learning

Jigsaw puzzles are very much loved by the young and the old. For kids, it can be intellectually stimulating. For the old, it can be a challenging task especially when you are playing with big jigsaw puzzles with hundreds of pieces. It is a good way to relax at home.

Various researches found out that kids can benefit from keeping jigsaw puzzles because it can develop logical thinking and spatial relation skills. It is a good activity for kids to get along and develop their social skills. They can work hand in hand with their playmates to put together puzzles. And playing with these puzzles can be a fun family activity on a family day. These puzzles are one of the educational toys you can readily provide to your kids. They are affordable and readily available. You can actually introduce this as their hobby. Who knows, it might stir up their interest.

So where can you find jigsaw puzzles with cool designs? Melissa and Doug is the leading manufacturer of educational toys for various ages. They have all sorts of toys that you can ensure your kids would benefit from. You can get best buys of jigsaw puzzles built from wood and cardboard material from them. The number of pieces can vary. So it is definitely easy to match your kid's capability, start from there then lever it up until they can handle complicated puzzles. The designs are really dreamy.

Melissa and Doug jigsaw puzzles are perfect for your kids. For sure they will love them. Pictures are filled with various colors and even adults can be mesmerized by their designs. Various themes have been created so it can be delightful for the kids' eyes. For wood puzzles, it has a sturdy tray to hold the pieces together and it is even hand crafted. For the cardboard puzzles, you can easily store the pieces because they come in handy with a wooden box. So if you are a busy mom, you can easily shop online for these puzzles and have it delivered on your front door. Shopping with them is easy and secure.

This is one of the simplest ways to entertain your kids. You can even strengthen emotional bonds with them by spending time and playing with them. If you want to plan a family activity that's less tedious, this one can be a great choice. When everybody is home, after a dinner, you can simply lay the puzzle on the floor and start building up the challenge for everyone. Trust me, jigsaw puzzles can be fun.

Just try to look out for Melissa and Doug jigsaw puzzles. Even by just looking at the pictures of the puzzles, it is already stress relieving. So see, the pieces that you put together can bring a lot of benefits to your kids and to your family. It's not just a one-time benefit because what you do to your kids can have lasting effects on them. And it is one way to build good memories. But the most important of all is that your child is learning.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Vehicles in a Box Jigsaw Puzzles

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Vehicles in a Box Jigsaw Puzzles








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Product Details


Set contains four wooden jigsaw puzzles inside, each in its own compartment! With this set of 48 wood pieces, you can create a puzzle for a fire engine, airplane, school bus and train engine.


  • Four compartments in this sturdy wooden box store four different 12-piece puzzles
  • Vehicle-themed puzzles depict a race car, train, fire truck and school bus
  • Backs of pieces are shape-coded for easy sorting
  • Great for home, school or travel






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