Dr Livington’s Anatomy Puzzles were provided to me by Timberdoodle for review purposes. I received no compensation for this post.
What Makes a Great Jigsaw Puzzle?
The line between a great puzzle experience and utter frustration can be thin…as thin as some of the pieces from the cheap puzzle you picked up at the local drug store. I am thrilled to tell you that Dr. Livingston’s Human Anatomy Puzzles are amazing.
Look, I am picky when it comes to puzzles. A few Thanksgivings ago, I pulled out a puzzle called “Knitter’s Delight”. The photo was of a basket of beautifully textured yarn in deep, rich colors. I couldn’t wait to start. But, as it turns out, we never finished the puzzle. The pieces didn’t fit together quite right and odd shapes meant we were never quite sure if a piece was in the correct spot or not. That puzzle with the gorgeous image on it was tossed aside like apple juice that your toddler suddenly decides is in the wrong colored cup.
Never again, I said.
Never.
Again.
Dr. Livingston’s Human Anatomy Puzzles
Dr. Livingston’s Human Anatomy Puzzles are larger-than-life (literally) anatomically correct puzzles. Nothing brings learning to life like a hands-on experience. In my post Why You Need to Start Using Puzzles in Your Homeschool I talk about the many benefits of using puzzles for learning. These human anatomy puzzles are no exception. Putting together a puzzle requires you to study the pieces so you can place them together. When working on an anatomy puzzle, you can’t help but learn as you place the pieces.
You can buy the entire set of seven puzzles or buy each one individually. The set contains The Human Head, The Human Thorax, The Human Abdomen, The Human Right Arm, The Human Left Arm, The Human Right Leg, and The Human Left Leg.
Important info about Dr. Livingston’s Human Anatomy Puzzles
These anatomy puzzles come packaged in sturdy boxes with the puzzle pieces sealed in a plastic bag. These boxes are much sturdier than the flimsy cardboard most of us are familiar with. These were clearly designed for long-term storage.
The puzzles are boxes are all uniform in size making them easy to store. The boxes have a top that unfolds (rather than gets pulled off) and has a magnet on the size that helps “seal” up the box. This makes storage a breeze. You can either stack them horizontally or line them up vertically with no fear of them being spilled.
Anatomy Puzzle Piece Size
This varies slightly depending on the anatomy puzzle but for the most part, the pieces were about the size of pieces in our favorite 1,000 piece puzzles. Some were slightly larger due to the shape of the puzzle. The pieces are thick like the higher-quality puzzles we enjoy putting together.
Anatomy Puzzle Shape
One of the unique qualities of these puzzles is their shape. The arm is shaped like an arm and the brain is shaped like a brain. This is great for hands-on learning but does make the puzzles slightly more difficult to put together.
I had the grand idea to put all of the puzzles together and then take a photo of Apollo lying next to it to show you the scale. As it turns out, leaving giant puzzles on the floor for days with dogs, cats, and kids isn’t a great idea…
Individual Puzzle Piece Shapes
Okay, one of the only downsides of these puzzles is that the unique shape means you are also dealing with unique shapes on the edge. As you can see from the pieces in the photo above it can be hard to tell whether or not it is an edge piece.
Here is another example of an edge piece that can be difficult to disinguish from the other pieces.
Anatomical Details
Dr. Livingston’s puzzles have the anatomical parts labeled on the box for reference but not on the pieces themselves. While doing the puzzle I found myself looking at the box and repeating whatever part I found (ex; aortic arch) in my head as I put it together.
Pros and Cons of Dr. Livingston’s Human Anatomy Puzzles
The sturdy boxes mean these can also double as cat storage.
Cons:
These pieces were a bit dusty which is frustrating and could be a trigger for anyone with allergies.
Some of the edge pieces were difficult to distinguish from the inner pieces.
These puzzles aren’t cheap ($24.99 each) but if you consider them as an investment in your homeschool I think you will find the prices reasonable.
Pros:
Thick, sturdy pieces.
Beautiful full-colored images.
Sturdy boxes for storage.
The anatomy is clearly labeled on the boxes.
As you can see, I am a fan of these anatomy puzzles. Not only did we enjoy putting them together but we learned a lot along the way as well. These are puzzles that will be kept for years to come.
Dr. Livingston's Anatomy Jigsaw Puzzles
24.99 each Pros
- Thick, study pieces
- Beautiful, matte finish
- Clear, easy to see pictures
- Sturdy box for storage
- Box shows names of anatomy
Cons
- Irregular shaped edges
- Some irregular shaped connections
