I love puzzles. Always have. Their tactile nature makes them a must-have for kinesthetic learners. Spatial learners can be just as quick, especially with puzzles that have a smaller number of pieces. The only time I hated puzzles was putting together a 1000 piece one only to find there were only 998 pieces! That’s why, while I purchase a lot of things second hand, I prefer to get puzzles new.
Right now, Toys ‘R Us has a couple of deals going on, and they’re combinable. First, there is free shipping on all Melissa & Doug toys. If you’re familiar with this company, you know that they make higher-quality educational toys. We have some of their puppets, and even though my children are now out of the target demographic, they’re still played with on a regular basis. We started out with their wood puzzles when my children were small. Now they offer high quality, durable cardboard puzzles for a lower cost. Their graphics are bright, interesting, and wonderful.
Through 03/24/07, Toys ‘R Us is also offering a Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal on Melissa & Doug puzzles. I’m getting the world map for my own kids and two others for my gift closet. The world map is a floor puzzle, 2’x3′. I plan to let mine “embellish” it as we study the different countries. There’s also a human body puzzle with enough detail to teach (but not enough to be offensive). This one is 100 pieces. All of their puzzles teach as well as entertain.
If you haven’t yet signed up for Google Checkout, you can go one better. Sign up for Google checkout and receive $10 off your first purchase. That makes it three puzzles for $10 – SHIPPED. We have been extremely pleased with Google Checkout, and it’s our preferred online payment method.
Link to Melissa & Doug products at Toys ‘R Us