Hape Your Body 5-Layer Wooden Puzzle Girl

I bought this puzzle for my four year old daughter. I thought the way it was designed in layers was unusual and since my kiddo claims she wants to be a doctor, I felt this would be an interesting way for her to explore anatomy.When we opened the package, I sat down with her and showed her how each level of the puzzle represented the structure of her body -- starting with the skeletal structure, then organs, then muscle and ligaments, then skin and finally clothes. This is all stuff she and I have discussed before, and she's pretty fascinated with her body and the inner workings of it. Since then, she's played with it off and on all day, and at one point I overheard her telling one of her groovy girls dolls all about each level...so cute!I was worried based on the picture that it would be too basic to be of any interest to my smart little girl. The picture doesn't show that each level of the puzzle is made up of seven smaller pieces (arms, legs, abdomen, chest and head). At four, of course she has the motor skills to "complete" the puzzle very quickly, but assembling it isn't really what she finds interesting about this puzzle. Her fascination with each level and her growing understanding of her anatomy makes this far more interesting to her than a traditional jigsaw. Traditional jigsaws are of limited interest after you've taken them apart and assembled them a few times. Not so with this one. She really loves it. I paid over twenty bucks for it and I don't regret doing so. This, along with Steve Alton's excellent book "Chewy Gooey Rumble Plop" has become one of my favorite ways of introducing anatomy to kids so far!For what it's worth, I found the puzzle to be well made, the illustration to be charming, and personally I don't find the pieces to be too sharp or small for a child aged 3 or older.

I bought this for my 4 year old daughter who poses many questions about her body and watches shows discussing the human body with great interest (Magic School Bus, Sid the Science Kid, etc.). She loves it. I do feel that it is pretty basic and lacking some detail. I wish that it had a bit more about the arteries and veins. However, the purpose of this puzzle is more about being able to work through the different layers of the body and how they are put together. I highly recommend combining this puzzle with a good book or video about the human body. For us, The Magic School Bus - Human Body and First Human Body Encyclopedia (Dk First Reference Series) filled in all the information she needs at this time. For a book that is a bit more basic and less cumbersome than the encyclopedia, consider Me and My Amazing Body. I will also say that the durability of this puzzle is very good! One of the pieces accidently went through the washer with the laundry and it came out with no damage and did not swell or warp and still fits nicely into the puzzle! I hope to buy more Beleduc puzzles in the future. I am very impressed!

This is a great puzzle! We've had it for about a week now and my kids play with it multiple times a day. My 4 year old can do it entirely on her own. My 23 month old can do it with help. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this!Pros:It has a good amount of detail, enabling me to point out the different organs, bones, etc. to the kids.While it has that detail, it doesn't have too much. It's a very clear and simple picture.It's really well made and seems to stand up to being stomped on by my younger child :)Cons:It's wood, so there's a few splinters here and there. There's not a ton though, just a normal amount and something to be aware of so you can take them off when you first get it.We have two of these and I find it a bit annoying that the pieces are cut just slightly different, making them not easily interchangeable. I'm not sure if you can ask that of any puzzles though...I wish it came with a box or a snap on lid or something to make it easier to store.

My 4 yr old daughter has been asking question about "what's inside me" for several months now and when I saw this puzzle I thought it would be the perfect tool to teach her the answer to this question. I was right! She just loves going over every layer and talking about the different bones and organs and muscles. She learns the order in which the are layered in out own bodies and is now asking for the boy version of this puzzle. Its easy to use and fun for both of us - a great way to spend some educational time together. I also plan on getting the layered puzzle of the mom and baby which shows the development of a child - her inquisitive 4 yr old mind is always asking about how babies grow inside their mothers. I would love to see them make an animal one... maybe some common pets like cats and dogs.Maybe more toys like this will encourage our little ones to become doctors! One can only hope! ;)

This is a fun puzzle, and will last awhile. It helps to encourage discussion on our bodies and how they work.