Review: Teaching children shapes with Orchard Toys Animal Shapes Game

The other day I asked Big Boy if he wanted to go to a theme park and he replied he wanted to go home and do puzzles. I’m not sure where he’s got this from, but the favourite activity in the past few months has been doing puzzles.

That’s why I was delighted to try some of the latest releases from Orchard Toys, the educational toy brand that we’ve bought a number of puzzles and games from in the past.

Orchard Toys now has a new bright-coloured shapes puzzle with animals designed for children aged over 18 months Animal Shapes Game (£7.50), which we received to review. With chunky pieces, this is a good starting puzzle for a little one putting together two and two pieces and learning colours, as well as being a good game for teaching preschoolers shapes.

It includes an impressive 12 shapes, including trapezium, heptagon and pentagon, which I think makes it a good set for long after 18 months, and it’s been fun to see Big Girl and Big Boy playing with the shapes together.

Orchard Toys has also increased its range of puzzles and games packed in smaller boxes, which I think is super practical. We received a clever double-sided bus puzzle to review Little Bus Jigsaw Puzzle (£5.50), and Big Boy had enjoyed putting together both the puzzles with animals driving the yellow bus on one side and the puzzle with people driving a red bus on the other side. This feels like a 2 for 1 set!