27 August 2015

Review: Orchard Toys Big Alphabet Jigsaw


My son has never really been a fan of jigsaws, I'm not exactly sure why? Sometimes I think it may have something to do with him being autistic and his ability to locate the correct pieces and then put them together. Fine motor skills can often be an issue and putting together a puzzle often leaves poor Logan feeling deflated. However when Orchard Toys asked if I'd like to review their Big Alphabet Jigsaw I thought, why not! This jigsaw will have some structure to it so may just be a winner for him.

First here's a little bit about Orchard Toys: "Orchard Toys started off on a kitchen table over 40 years ago, and although we are recognised now as a leading manufacturer of educational games and puzzles around the world, we still design, produce and pack all our products from a small market town in Norfolk. Apart from some of the Sales team, all our staff work together in the same building."


The Big Alphabet Jigsaw has 26 moderately sized pieces which are easy for little hands to hold and manipulate as they see fit. Recommended for ages 3-6 this jigsaw helps your child learn the alphabet in a fun and colourful way. It helps to promote discussion through questions such as "How many hats are there?" or "What colour are the lemons?". Included in the box there's also a full sized poster of the jigsaw which can be used to hang on a wall in your child's room or if you're lucky enough to have a play room then hang it in there as a learning reference. The box itself is very sturdy so sure to last a good while. There's a plastic handle on the top of the box which makes it great for carrying on your travels. This jigsaw retails for £9.75 and can be purchased directly from the Orchard Toys website.


So what did Logan and I think? Well it took a little bit of encouraging to get Logan to come over and join in the jigsaw building, but once he noticed it was the alphabet he was in for the kill straight away. He knows the alphabet and because this jigsaw has structure i.e. A,B,C he was very happy to build it all on his own, even saying at one point "Mummy stop helping me! I know how to do this because I know the alphabet." I was more than happy to let him get on with it and simply asked prompting question such as "What comes after H now?" or "My goodness, look at the size of that Octopus! Which letter do you think O comes after?" This seemed to work really well for us and even though Logan's 5 (almost 6) he quit enjoyed building this jigsaw and having a chat with me about it.


I really like this jigsaw because it's bright, colourful and very eye catching for children. The pictures are clear and the pieces are a perfect size for 3-6 year olds. Each piece has an individual letter on it too making it easier to identify and add to the puzzle. I'm sure this will become a firm favourite and when Logan's finished with it I'll be keeping it aside for Harlow when she's a bit bigger.

Overall a lovely jigsaw which will last the test of time (and children) and one which I'd definitely recommend to family and friends. I feel the pricing reflects the quality of this product and if you spend over £19.99 on the Orchard Toys website there's free delivery to be had up and down the UK. Age wise this jigsaw is spot on and even at 5 years old Logan loved it and found great happiness being able to find the pieces and build it himself.

Mummy's rating - 10/10
Logan's rating 10/10

Please visit www.orchardtoys.com for more products and information. You can see what they get up to on Facebook and Twitter so why not pop over and say hello! You might have also noticed that I'm now an Official Toy Tester for Orchard Toys so watch out for more exciting reviews coming soon.


I was sent the Big Alphabet Jigsaw puzzle in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

2 comments on "Review: Orchard Toys Big Alphabet Jigsaw"

Unknown on 28 August 2015 at 01:46 said...

I really like that brand, we use it a lot at school. We will keep an eye out for this one.

The Breastest News on 28 August 2015 at 08:53 said...

Mama- they're a great brand aren't they. We've got several of their games :)

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