Holiday Preview: Puzzles

Kids can learn geography, countries, states, capitols and industries with these giant 18" x 27" puzzles made from thick, sturdy board with a beautiful finish. Roisin Ross of eeBoo told TDmonthly, "Beautiful illustration with vibrant colors set these apart from the standard puzzle maps for kids."

This bustling beach has plenty of detail to satisfy even the biggest of puzzle aficionados. The 1000-piece Beachgoing puzzle features the July 8, 1939 cover of the New Yorker.  Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, this product is "made in the USA from extra-thick puzzle board to ensure for better play and a better fit."

This holiday jigsaw puzzle features an apple-cider-themed cover from "Gourmet Magazine." Included in the box with each puzzle are three recipe cards featuring recipes from the magazine that one can make at home. Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, "The Holiday Cider Jigsaw Puzzle puts a unique spin on the traditional jigsaw puzzle with free recipe cards based on the puzzle image's theme."

The Jigsaw Puzzle Board has two slide-out trays for sorting and storing puzzle pieces, and comes with a clear, acrylic cover and four plastic clips to protect the puzzle when not in use. The puzzle board is made from Oak wood with a hand-rubbed oil finish and is available in three sizes: 500 pieces, 1,000 pieces and 1,500 pieces. Ed Weber, owner of Jigsaw Puzzle Board, told TDmonthly, "The 1,000 piece puzzle board is our most popular."

This 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle measures 20" x 27" and features a thick, upgraded puzzle board.

The 508-piece View of Krumau by Egon Schiele (1916) wooden jigsaw puzzle measures 16" x 12.75". Jeff Elridge, Manager at Liberty Puzzles, told TDmonthly, "Liberty Puzzles are classic wooden jigsaw puzzles, made with quarter-inch maple plywood and the finest archival paper and inks. No two pieces in any puzzle are alike, and each puzzle features dozens of intricate, charming whimsy pieces."

From the Signature Collection, this premium, high quality, 1000pc glare-free puzzle features Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper".

This colorful and informative puzzle is designed to help develop an early appreciation for geography. It icludes illustrations of all 50 U.S. states, 32 Mexican states and other North American countries, allowing kids to learn country and state names in both English and Spanish. The puzzle has 48 large, easy to grasp pieces and measures over 6' square when fully assembled. Durable, extra-thick pieces store easily in the reusable box. Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play, told TDmonthly, "All Ingenio products are bilingual. In addition, this map puzzle covers the entire North American region and has colorful illustrations of all countries in this region."

Reeves International's innovative brain bender features its most recognizable animal and symbol for conservation: the Panda. The package includes a 15-piece Panda themed beechwood 3D puzzle and playing instructions. The wood used in this toy is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, signifying compliance with the highest environmental standards. Launch date: 2010.

Mudpuppy 42-piece puzzles measure 16" square when assembled. The pieces are packed in a sturdy, 5" cube box with a colorful rope handle and are CE and ASTM tested to ensure safety. The puzzle's greyboard is made of 90-percent recycled paper, and the packaging is 70-percent recycled paper and printed with non-toxic, soy-based inks. Mudpuppy Press Public Relations Assistant Shanya Lewis told TDmonthly, "With themes like robots, princesses, cars, animals and classic characters like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the Rainbow Fish, Mudpuppy 42-piece Puzzles make great gifts!"
— Kristin Dolle, manager of Playthings Toy Shoppe in Louisville, Ky., said that puzzles from MudPuppy were a best-seller in the category.

This special-shaped, 600-piece jigsaw puzzle features an upgraded board.

In the competitive game of Kewbz, opposing players compete for ownership of 'tower units' by positioning the final cube on top. Each time a corner is made, a cube is stacked at the intersection. When multiple corners are created, then multiple cubes are added into play. Clever strategy moves give you the winning edge. Includes: wooden playing surface, 25 orange wooden blocks, 25 aqua-blue wooden blocks, and instructions. Launch date: 2010.

The Name Puzzle Stool can be personalized with child's name and has a back that flips down so child can use it as a step stool. Launch date: April 2010.

The Living Seas jigsaw puzzle series with vibrant colors and popular sea life combine in each aquatic image. Dive into the mysteries of the deep with the playful images of The Living Seas. Relax and explore the underwater world of dolphins, whales and tortoises in each of these vibrant scenes.

Re-marks presents the classic tile matching game with stylish and playful images in puppy, kitty or travel editions. Includes 48 deluxe tiles to match in competition with other players or alone as a memory strengthening exercise. Launch date: 2010.

Now aspiring artists can create their own puzzles. These blank puzzles are made with high-quality board and are sturdy enough for paints. There are 3 additional sizes of Create Your Own Puzzles as well as the option of pencil crayons. The kit comes with 2 puzzles and a set of crayons. Create Your Own Puzzle makes a great gift for any age. Launch date: 2010. From Cobble Hill.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Cobble Hill (dist. by Outset Media) was a best selling brand of puzzles.

Quadrilateral Pieces is a geometry puzzle. Kids of all ages can improve their spatial sense as they rotate, turn and flip the pieces to construct five different quadrilaterals. "Teachers and students will love it because students can use the puzzle to help them remember what they learn about different types of quadrilaterals," Mary Kay Bacallao, President, Learning by Design, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Kids practice their skillfulness as they help Scooby-Doo try to keep his balance atop a column of “Shaggys.” On each roll of the die, players see if they have to add or take away another Shaggy. The player who doesn’t make Scooby come crashing down wins. For one to four players.

These are definitely not your father's dot-to-dots. With no clues given to the final image, numbers into the thousands, and amazing detailed pictures, The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge provides a whole new level of challenge and intrigue. Author and artist David Kalvitis continues his Dot-to-Dot revolution by introducing a variety of brand new puzzle inventions such as "Arrows", "Compass" and "Alpha Dots" as well as double page spreads with over 1,400 dots.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5stars from 4 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: One user said that it was too challenging.

One in a collection of William Wegman puzzles offered by Buffalo Games, this 500-piece puzzle features Weimaraner Stanley in a hat and bowtie.

This giant floor puzzle is full of colorful, adorable dogs. Each puppy has style, attitude and class. The puzzle is 2" x 3" when completed.

This 40-piece puzzle includes every color in Elmer’s patchwork! Open the jigsaw puzzle carrying case and spill all of the pieces on a flat surface. When all finished playing, scoop up the pieces and store for another day of fun.

Each set comes with six, themed puzzles, a matching puzzle piece for each of the six puzzles for cognitive associative development and then a wooden figure for imaginative story play. The chunky, high glass, soft snap cardboard puzzle pieces make them easy enough for a 1 ½ year old to complete all by themselves. Three styles available: Farm, Animals, Construction.
Awards:  Parents’ Choice Approved Award, Fall 2010 Puzzles.

A brand-new challenge for all ages! The object of each puzzle is to rearrange the pattern of lights by shifting and twisting until they match the solution for that puzzle. With two ways to play and multiple challenging levels that train your brain, it's the game that's easy to learn and impossible to put down!

Dbox is a patent-pending puzzle game consisting of cubical units that can be attached or detached to several others to create three-dimensional segments in a variety of shapes. Users connect segments to solve an endless number of challenges. DBOX offers pre-existing puzzle selections and also allows players to create and solve puzzle challenges themselves, in addition to sharing them with other puzzlers arround the world on the DBOX website. "Dbox has endless challenges and shapes in one game. It appeals to all minds at all levels. It is a social game where players can invent, create, share and compete," Oded Light, co-founder, Pushkapor LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.

Crazy Cheese is both a puzzle and a brain-teaser, all in the same slice of cheese. With two levels of difficulty, the Crazy Cheese puzzle is designed to provide hours of entertainment for the whole family. "Beware, as simple as it appears, completing this puzzle without the solution key is a phenomenal feat of perseverance and brain power!" Bert Devort, Sales Department, Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.
― Two of 40 retailers told TDmonthly in June 2010 that Crazy Cheese is one of their top-selling puzzles.
— Jeanette Lauture of Aunt Jean's Toys and Treats in Montclair, N.J. Sells about two to four Blue Orange games per month, she said in the fall of 2010.

Sneaky Puzzles are full of surprise. Kids put together a colorful under-the-sea scene with funny fish and their silly friends. Then, they can see all the letters of the alphabet and numbers 0–9 hidden in the picture, and wear the included 3D glasses to see the fish and their friends in a whole different way. "Children will be astonished as they watch the sea creatures swim towards them and parents will love the educational value," Jessica Wineke, Public Relations Coordinator, Patch Products Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

Retailers will be able to milk new profits from  b. dazzle, inc.’s beautiful new Scramble Squares® puzzle on one of America’s favorite topics. Retailers using b. dazzle’s unique Scramble Squares® interactive playing surface point of purchase displays may offer consumers a free Scramble Squares® puzzle if the consumer can solve the demonstration 9-piece Scramble Squares® puzzle within 5 minutes.  b. dazzle, inc. provides a free electronic timer and  a 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® CERTIFICATE Kit with every display to support this very effective promotion. Once a consumer tries to solve the puzzle, he/she gets “hooked” and wants to buy at least one to take home and prove he/she can solve it!   Because Scramble Squares® are less than $10.00 retail and they are available in over 140 exquisite styles, consumers who have taken THE CHALLENGE® usually buy at least two or three Scramble Squares® puzzles at a time to delight or torment friends and family members.You can also watch a video about how the 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® helps sell Scramble Squares® puzzles.