What I Learned From Dora

There are stories of how much I loved doing jigsaw puzzles in my youth.  

And frankly, if you lived where it's 115 during the day, you'd find excuses for staying in-doors, too.  But, regardless, I do love doing them now- especially the Christensen ones with the fancy fantasy characters.

It's one thing I really miss about being the parent of a toddler and two cats- they ALL want to take your pieces and store them somewhere for you.

I'm really looking forward to the time where I can sit down with my daughter (I know the cats will always want to "help") and do a puzzle together.   She's currently fascinated with a 100 piece holiday puzzle with a gingerbread man on it.  And though we tried to put it together, she just doesn't quite get the concept.  She knows that the pieces make a picture...and that one side doesn't have a picture, but she hasn't made the leap to realize that YOU need to build the picture.

So, despite several attempts (and recounting of the pieces), we aborted 100 piece puzzle in lieu of something more her speed.  She had received a Dora the Explorer puzzle as a gift- a little framed wooden one with 12-15 pieces...you know the type?

Well, as I was helping her, I realized that all the pieces are not only interlocking, but they're also interchangeable.

Now, honestly, how is that helpful in learning how to do a jigsaw puzzle!?!  

No wonder the kid doesn't understand about a unique fit!  When I was a kid- before the beginner puzzles (primer puzzles!!?) were made of wood, they were made of cardboard.  I had one with Mickey on roller skates (70s, you know?  Everyone was on roller skates).  It had 25 uniquely shaped pieces, as well as the pattern for the pieces pressed into the cardboard.

You GOT the idea that you're supposed to find the matching shape piece and put in the matching pattern "hole".  

You GOT what the point of a jigsaw puzzle was- it's to match the correctly shaped pieces together; the image is secondary.  (This is probably why, to this day, I strongly feel that looking at the image on the box is CHEATING!  You need to match the pieces and the image magically appears).

Anyway, I went in search of a 25 piece puzzle that had uniquely shaped pieces.

NO LUCK!  

Thanks to Melissa and Doug, ALL of the 25 piece puzzles that I could find are the wooden framed type with interchangeable pieces (not to mention STEEPLY more expensive than a little cardboard puzzle, which I couldn't find).  The next step up was 35 pieces, which is exponentially more difficult than a 25 piece puzzle, but at least I found one with a Princess made by Ravensburger, who generally makes good puzzles.  

I did find a "box set" of Winnie the Pooh wood puzzles, but the pieces didn't fit together- what good was that!?!  And when you tried, you either almost broke the balsa piece or got a splinter trying.

But I never thought I would be SEARCHING for those cheap little cardboard training puzzles.  If anyone finds them, please share.