Ravensburger Crazy Cats Vintage No.7 – Knit one, Purrl one 500pc Jigsaw Puzzle

We love a good jigsaw puzzle as it’s something all of the family can join in with and something we dip in and out of over a few days as we please.  The Ravensburger Crazy Cats Vintage No.7 – Knit one, Purrl one 500pc Jigsaw Puzzle is the perfect one for our cat loving family and is full of fun cats, mice and quirky features making it an interesting and fun puzzle to do.

As usual we tend to start of finding the edge pieces, something my children love looking for and with the various coloured balls of wool lying around, it aids finding where the pieces need to go.

With lots of vintage signs on the wall it helped to locate where the pieces go, but with the quirky cabinets, coloured balls of wall and numerous cats eyes, it took a little bit of working out which pieces went where!

Alongside myself was my 8 and 11yr old who both love it when they find a piece that fits and between us all we soon completed the puzzle.

We love this puzzle and really enjoyed doing it.  Being 500 pieces it isn’t overly challenging and is something we can do over a few days.  Great for when at home to get away from screen time and good for rainy days.  Ravensburger puzzles are always a pleasure to do and the Crazy Cats are just one in the vintage series of puzzles.  I love the vintage designs and can’t wait to try out some others!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions. We are not paid for reviews although we do receive the product to try out and enable us to write the review.

Ravensburger The Curious Cupboard No. 6 1000 Piece Puzzle

Ravensburger The Curious Cupboard is a series of puzzles with different cupboard contents from kitchen, inventors, gardeners and much more.  No. 6 in the series is The Collectors Cupboard and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.  Being a 1000 piece puzzle it is the perfect challenge and one that I know my mum when she pops round and the kids love to come and help with.

This puzzle features a large shelving unit filled with more than you can ever imagine.  I thought when I started this that I could see a few cats, a few clocks, a few bottles etc, but it’s not until you get into it that you realise that there are so many cats and so many circular shaped things, be it clocks, cogs, buttons, the list goes on.

There are hats, perfume bottles, stamps and so much more.  These pictures really don’t do it justice but I can honestly say this has been one of the most enjoyable puzzles I have ever done!  My mum contributed along with my daughter and we loved working together as three generations finding the pieces.  It is really addictive and so fun to do – you really can’t work out where a piece goes straightaway as there are so many options for it.  The backgrounds to each shelving area vary too, from floral, to chinese style and more, which obviously help in putting the pieces together but at the same time confuse you as there is so much variety across the puzzle.

Being addictive we soon finished it and again I have to say I’ve absolutely loved doing this puzzle, it was an absolute pleasure and one I can’t wait to do again in the future.  Puzzles in the Ravensburger The Curious Cupboard series are clearly fun to do and I’d love to try others in the range.  The detail is fascinating and gets your mind ticking more than you think trying to work out where the pieces go amongst the picture. 

If you love puzzles or just want to give on a try then I’d highly recommend checking out the Ravensburger The Curious Cupboard series, one I’ve really enjoyed and also one I think would make a lovely gift for anyone that enjoys a good jigsaw!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Ravensburger The Country Station 100pc Jigsaw Puzzle & Giveaway

Ravensburger The Country Station 100pc Jigsaw Puzzle has extra large pieces to enable fiddle free and easy puzzling. With the puzzle pieces being around double the size of standard pieces, they are easier to find and quicker to complete along with being able to see more detail on each piece.

The Country Station is no.2 in the popular Day in the Country puzzle line and shows a nostalgic image of a station scene.  There is lots of detail and colour from the people and the skyline making the puzzle a joy to do and simple to find the correct location for the pieces.  With the pieces being larger than normal it’s easier to identify where they should go and we couldn’t wait to get started.  My 10yr old daughter decided she wanted to give it a go and sat down one afternoon and completed it.  She found it enjoyable to do and it looked good when finished.

Below you can see the finished Ravensburger puzzle of The Country Station which measures 49 x 36 cm when completed.  With a linen finish to the top it helps to avoid glare and the pieces are a sturdy premium cardboard.  Lastly I’m pleased to offer one of my readers a chance to win a copy for themselves – it’s simple to enter, just scroll down and fill out the Gleam form below!

Ravensburger The Country Station puzzle

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Incredibles 2 Puzzles from Jumbo Games – Review & Giveaway

Incredibles 2 has landed on the big screen and is a fun family film featuring the Elastigirl, Mr Incredible, Jack-Jack, Violet and Dash as they go about their normal day to day life before coming together again to save the day.  Jumbo Games have come up with these fun, great quality puzzles for children of various ages to do.  I love that they have both a 100 piece one aimed at children 5+ and a 200 piece one for 7+.

My little boy age 7 was eager to give them a try so we got our puzzle mats out and he started with the 100 piece.  He loved the chunky pieces, and before long he completed it entirely on his own.  He then moved onto the 200 piece which did prove a little more tricky.  I know he is able so always make him do the puzzles on his own, but hint and point out areas that would be easy to start with.  He always starts with the edges and I helped him find them but he put them all together.

He then move onto the the eyes and faces of the Incredibles 2 characters as these are the prominent areas and the pieces were easy to pick out and he could identify where they went on the board.

By the end of the day both puzzles were completed and I had one very proud little boy!  These Incredibles 2 puzzles are great fun and come in lovely bright colours to keep kids interested.  Featuring the characters from the film, they are instantly recognisable and kids love to see images they associate with.

To celebrate the release of the film, I have both of these Jumbo Games Incredibles 2 puzzles to give away to one lucky reader.  If you want to enter just fill in the Gleam form below:

Incredibles 2

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Incredibles 2 100 Piece Puzzle from Ravensburger

Incredibles 2 is due out in cinema’s on 13th July 2018 and brings us the fun loving family of superheroes who love to fight crime and beat the villains.  With baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superhero powers it’ll be fun to see how he gets on in this adventure helping the others.  To celebrate the release, Ravensburger have produced this fun new 100 piece puzzle aimed at 6 years plus.

My boy aged 7 was excited when he saw this and couldn’t wait to get started.  I know he is able to do this unaided and despite him asking for help initially, I just verbally guided him and let him put all the pieces in place.  He started with the edges and soon got to grips with finding pieces and before long was flying along at his own pace.

The finished Incredibles 2 puzzle is a really good size and looks great on the floor or table.  The individual pieces are also well sized and great for little hands.  The size of the pieces also allows for more recognition of what area of the puzzle it may belong too, e.g. the writing across the bottom was easy to spot on pieces and one of the first edges my boy completed.

As you can see my boy was thrilled to complete the puzzle and felt proud that he had achieved it all by himself.  I love watching them do simple things like puzzles as it gets their brain working and takes them away from technology for a while.

On the other hand, don’t forget to head to the big screen from 13th July onwards to catch the new Incredibles 2 film and see the adventures of this superhero family in action!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Union Jack Sneaker 3D Puzzle from Ravensburger

Union Jack Sneaker 3D Puzzle from Ravensburger is a fantastic creation that doubles up as a pen pot once built.  The 108 piece puzzle is made from plastic pieces and also has a few plastic templates to help hold the shoe in place.

As soon as I showed the 10yr old, she was straight onto building this.  The style and theme appealed to her and she loved the idea she could keep it on her desk afterward full of her pens and pencils.

The pieces slotted together with ease and she was able to assemble this without any assistance.  In fact it didn’t take long at all,  I left her to it whilst I did some housework, came back to take some photos and she was just putting the final pieces in.

We are really impressed with the look of this and it stands really well and sturdily.  We’ve had admiring comments from those that have visited too.  As with other Ravensburger products we have tried, the standard is great and it looks good.  I really love the fact that it is useable too.  My boy tried some other puzzles from Ravensburger previously that have turned into useful storage items to so if you know any minion fans, then check out these 3D Minion puzzles too.

Back to the Union Jack sneaker puzzle and I’ll finish off by saying that we love it and would recommend it to anyone that loves their puzzles, loves the Union Jack image and loves a sneaker (my girl lives in them!).

This is a puzzle that can if you want to take apart and build again but for us, it’s found a new home on my daughters desk and is now crammed full of her favourite pens!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Happy Days at Work – The Hairdresser 500 Piece Ravensburger Puzzle

The Hairdresser 500 piece puzzle from Ravensburger is part of the Happy Days at Work series with each puzzle featuring a different career.  With a retro vibe this scene at the hairdresser was fun to do and had lots of key items in to pick out as you go along to aid completion and help you achieve the finished puzzle.

I always like to start with the edges and corners although my 10yr old daughter was eager to complete this alongside me so was picking out bits she found on the inside such as the hair spray cans and the red car outside the window.  The pieces are a good size with and with a shiny upper surface they were easy to sift through and find what you needed.

I really enjoyed completing this and with 500 pieces it’s not too challenging and you feel like you are achieving pieces in place fairly quickly. It wasn’t long before my 7yr old son joined in too and the three of us eagerly worked together to find the pieces.  At first we were busy finding different parts but it soon got competitive as to who was going to put the final piece into place.  It turned out they both put one of the last two pieces in each as they had secretly hidden one piece each under their legs!!! Cheeky!  But it was great seeing their determination at completing the puzzle and we all had a lot of fun doing it.

In the Happy Days At Work series from Ravensburger there is something for everyone, so if you don’t fancy The Hairdresser, then maybe try The Teacher, The Coalman, The Farmer, The Mechanic or The Baker – these just being a small selection that is available.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Alvin & the Chipmunks 100 Piece Ravensburger Puzzle

Alvin & the Chipmunks 100 piece puzzle by Ravensburger is a great size for young children and depending on their age its one they can do by themselves.  My 7yr old is a massive Alvin fan and I set the task of him completing this by himself as I knew he was able and I think puzzles are a great stimulation for the brain and take children away from screen time.

Eager to start, I encouraged my boy to look for corners and edge pieces first, but you know what children are like.  He found bits of the drum right in the middle so decided to start there, but he was happy and completing on his own so I let him get on with it.  I checked on his progress every so often and encouraged him to keep him motivated.  He was actually really excited doing it and I had a full running commentary about Alvin and his friends and how they play in the band in the tv show……..

Before long the puzzle was complete!

Once he had finished we admired the finished puzzle.  At approximately 49x36cm its really good size and is brightly coloured to aid completion but also looks eye catching for the child to enjoy.  Alvin & The Chipmunks is well loved here and this puzzle was a hit too.  He thoroughly enjoyed doing it, loved the sense of achievement of finishing it by himself and it was a great way to spend an hour or two when at home.

We love Ravensburger puzzles, they never fail to disappoint being of good quality with easy to fit pieces.  They have a wide choice of pictures and designs to choose from so if you are looking for a new challenge then check them out – kids love them!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Ravensburger Despicable Me 3 3D puzzles

Ravensburger Despicable Me 3, 3D puzzles can’t fail to be a hit with minion fans.  Not only are they puzzles, they are covered in minions and also can be used as storage containers once built!

The Despicable Me 3 Storage Box 3D Puzzle comes with 216 pieces and along with a base, top frame, tray and yellow paper inserts.  With a 7yr old minion fan and a 9yr old who loves 3D puzzles I left the two of them to get on with this.  They had a production line on the go with Miss M finding the correctly numbered pieces and Mister B piecing them together.  What I like about Ravensburger 3D  puzzles are that each piece is numbered with a little arrow alongside to show you where to place to the following piece. Within just a short amount of time the puzzles started taking shape and the children were impressed with their structures.

Once each puzzle is complete they each have a base and top frame that turns them into sturdy storage units.  A great bonus of the storage box is a tray that slides across the box and can hold little items but can easily be lifted out.

The Despicable Me 3 3D Pen pot was equally a pleasure to make and came together easily.  Once constructed there is a thin sheet of yellow card to insert inside to finish the look as well as the plastic base and top frame.  Mister B was absolutely thrilled with his pen pot and I think it looks great too!

Overall we are really impressed with both of the Despicable Me 3 3D storage puzzles.  Not only are they fun to do, they are useful and look great.  We’ve found with 3D puzzles in the past they normally stay up for a while then we have to pack them away as they take up too much room but these are fully functional and look great in Mister B’s bedroom.

These would make brilliant gifts at any time of the year but with Christmas on it’s way I’d definitely think about wrapping some of these to go under the tree!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review. 

 

Ravensburger Cinderella Carriage 3D Puzzle

Ravensburger Cinderella Carriage 3D Puzzle is a really beautiful puzzle when finished and would take pride of place in any little girls bedroom on the shelf once complete.  With 72 pieces and aimed at 6-10 year old’s this puzzle is a delight to do and a pleasure to look at once finished in it’s 3D glory.

The puzzle comes with the really sturdy 3D pieces, some cardboard pieces to build the carriage and a guide in case you haven’t attempted a 3D puzzle before.

The puzzle pieces are cleverly numbered on the back and you need to find each piece in number order in order to assemble easily and enable the curves to form simply as you build.  Both my children age 6 and 9 are fascinated by 3D puzzles and eagerly worked together searching for the pieces and helped each other build the finished creation.

With a bit of teamwork it wasn’t long before the entire puzzle came together and a complete spherical ball shape had formed.  It looks fabulous and is really sturdy as the pieces are plastic and strong.  The whole structure stays together perfectly and looks lovely sitting upon the carriage.  The ball can be turned around with Cinderella on one side and the fairy godmother on the other.

The Ravensburger Cinderella Carriage 3D Puzzle is a beautiful 3D puzzle that the children loved building and one that looks lovely and can be kept as a decorative piece to admire on a shelf or broken up and done time and time again.  We love Ravensburger puzzles in general and the 3D ones give an extra dimension that brings them to life so if you have a Disney Cinderella fan in your house, this is well worth checking out as it’s sure to be loved by all!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.