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

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Fiona Martin

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

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Fiona Martin

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 Break Free Game – Review

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Fiona Martin

Break Free from Ravensburger is a fast paced interactive game best suited to ages 6+. It involves chaining yourself up in a handcuff which is attached via a chain to other players and then being the first to unpick the lock and Break Free.

The Break Free game pieces consists of 4 special padlocks with chains, 12 unique locking puzzles that you insert in the to base of the handcuff – 4 of each level, 4 lockpicks and 12 tokens. To play the game all players (can be played by 1 to 4 at a time) put one of the puzzle pieces (green for easy, yellow for a bit harder and red for tricky) into their padlock then attach the padlock to their wrist. You clip all the ends of the chains together and are then ready to begin.

The idea is in each round, the first player to unpick their lock, takes the highest numbered token, the next player takes the next highest token and so forth. So the first round you all start with green which is the easiest and work upwards.

What I really liked about this game is that all four of us could join in, mummy, daddy, 10yr old and 8yr old. We were really were all at equals trying to unpick the locks and although sometimes you though you got the knack, in the next round you would struggle again.

It certainly got competitive with everyone eager to unlock their padlocks and be the first!

Another aspect that I liked about this Ravensburger Break Free game is that within each level, all the lock puzzles have different sequences within them, so if someone works out a quick way to turn their pick to make their way through the lock, then if you play the game again and mix the pieces up, they are likely to have a different route to follow to unpick the lock which keeps everyone on their toes.

Even though the 8yr old got a little frustrated on the harder levels at times, you can see he is thrilled here when he beat his older sister. The kids also loved it when daddy got stuck sometimes just going round in circles and not actually unlocking his handcuff so they had to help unpick his lock at the end – of course mummy succeeded in coming in the top two places in most rounds!

Break Free by Ravensburger is a fun family game that all ages can join in or the kids can just play alone. My boy even enjoyed having a go on his own although I think he was trying to hone his unpicking technique for future rounds. We like this with it’s fast paced competitiveness and the excitement it brings – a good one to add to Santa’s list I think!

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

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Fiona Martin

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.

Union Jack Sneaker 3D Puzzle from Ravensburger

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Fiona Martin

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

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Fiona Martin

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

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Fiona Martin

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 Buggaloop Board Game with Hexbug

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Fiona Martin

Ravensburger Buggaloop board game is a fast paced game featuring a Hexbug nano that is on a mission to push your bugs off their path across the board. Aimed at ages 6+ and with 2-4 players I knew this would be something they would enjoy after the success we had with the sister game Bugs in the Kitchen.

The contents of the box are the 3D board which stays inside the box for sturdiness, 2 plastic loops which require minimal assembly to stand them up at the start of each game, 12 bug tokens, a dice and of course the Hexbug. My little boy couldn’t wait to get the Hexbug out and get him moving whilst my daughter carefully set the game up ready to play.

The idea of the game is to get your bugs across the board from one corner to the other. With each roll of the die which has numbers 1 to 4 around it (1 and 2 appear on two faces) you can move a bug that number of spaces, if they land on a raised space then they are safe from the Hexbug. During play the Hexbug is continually moving and goes from one loop to the other but as soon as he gets on to the centre of the board play stops, during which time you have to hope one of your bugs don’t get knocked off of their space because if they do, they go back to the start!

As you can imagine the game can get quite exciting with moments of moving bugs, then moments of the Hexbug coming along and everyone gasping and cheering as the Hexbug either knocks their bugs off or misses them. The game ends when one player has got all of the bugs to the other side of the board and is declared the winner!

My children loved playing this, particularly my little boy who is 7yrs old. I think it’s the Hexbug that really brings this game alive and keeps the action going. Although you can have a little strategy in which path you take across the board it really is the Hexbugs decision as to which bugs it knocks off so this really is a game of luck but with an edge of unknown and excitement. Why not check it out for some family fun?

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

Ravensburger Cinderella Carriage 3D Puzzle

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Fiona Martin

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.

What If? Escape to the Seaside – Puzzle by Ravensburger

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Fiona Martin

The What If? puzzles by Ravensburger come with a twist in that the picture on the front of the box isn’t all that it seems. With ‘Escape to the Seaside’, No. 17 in the series, it may look like an idyllic holiday home but the puzzle inside isn’t quiet as perfect as it let’s you think. It’s then up to you to work out what’s going on and piece the bits together accordingly. What a great way to get the family around the table by competing to find the next piece in a jigsaw puzzle and it gets us glued every time, the addiction in finding a piece that fits, the one to work out where each section goes right up until you get to put the final piece in place.

The popular WHAT IF? puzzle series is created by West Midlands based artist Geoff Tristram and consists of high quality 1000 piece cardboard jigsaw puzzles. A good size once complete they are 70 x 50cm. Being a twist on a traditional puzzle they are recommended for ages 12+.

The scene is set:

Henry Knightsbridge has always dreamt of Finding a little hideaway by the sea. He thinks he has found the ideal place in pen draw in, Cornwall. He can’t believe the estate agents (fleasum and bowlte) accepted his offer – it was such a bargain! but what if Henry has been swept away by the beauty of the location? and what if the view from Seaview cottage wasn’t quite what Henry expected? the picture on the puzzle box shows Henry, Chloe, Tarquin and tabatha’s arrival at Seaview cottage, whilst the puzzle actually shows their introduction to life by the seaside.

I really enjoyed starting this off by finding all of the edge pieces, they went together quite easily even though I wasn’t sure what colours were on each side to start with. It got a lot trickier trying to complete the inside as even if you are able to piece together certain parts, you don’t know where to lay them on the puzzle so after making lots of different sections I then had to drag them around the puzzle trying to find out what part of the scene they fitted into. I really enjoyed doing this puzzle and it kept me busy over a couple of days in the evenings.

Here are some small glimpses of the finished puzzle and the full picture is underneath, so stop scrolling now if you don’t want to see the finished design.

With a bit of help from some family that visited, we were all really excited to see the puzzle come together and see what the finished picture looked like. It was definitely fun to do, unlike any other puzzle I’ve tried and a challenge that I’d like to try again in the future!

Below is our finished puzzle: