Review: Human Anatomy Floor Puzzle

Today I’m reviewing the Dr Livingston Jr. Human Body Floor Puzzle, perfect for homeschoolers or any kids who are interested in learning more about human anatomy.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary puzzle for review from Timberdoodle and Genius Games. All views expressed are my own.

Continuing Education

About a year ago, Rebecca came to me and asked if it would be possible for her to take “college” courses at home. She has officially graduated from high school but wants to continue her education. She recognizes that she has cognitive limitations but is interested in expanding her knowledge, particularly in science. We have worked out a course of study that fits her abilities and interests. Most of the materials we are working with are usually used by students in middle school.

Human Body Floor Puzzle

The 100-piece Doctor Livingston Jr. Human Body Floor Puzzle looked like a fun, hands-on activity for learning about the various organs and systems of the human body. It is recommended for ages six and up and is included in Timberdoodle’s 1st Grade Curriculum Kit. However, we didn’t find it any too easy.

Typically, the first thing you do when assembling a jigsaw puzzle is to turn the pieces face up and sort out all the edges–which usually have a straight side. Not so in this puzzle. The finished shape is an outline of the human body with many curves. Rebecca found it easier to assemble individual parts and then join them when it became apparent how they would fit.

Even though the pieces are relatively large in this kid’s puzzle, the detail of the artwork is exceptional. I was especially intrigued that one arm and leg show more of the muscles while the other arm and leg show more of the bones and nerves. And while reproductive organs are vital, I appreciate that they are not displayed on this puzzle, making it gender neutral. This would be especially helpful if you wanted to use it with young children but weren’t yet ready to have that conversation with them.

The finished puzzle is about 4 feet long, making it close to life-size for younger kids. Even though Rebecca has done jigsaw puzzles of up to 1000 pieces, the shapes of the pieces in this one made it more challenging for her. It took her about a half hour to complete it. She and I both think she’ll be able to do it faster next time.

But wait, there’s more!

For even more of a challenge, Timberdoodle also carries the much more complex set of seven Dr. Livingston’s Anatomy Jigsaw Puzzles. The head is one puzzle with 538 pieces. The thorax is another with 500 pieces, and so on. Once all seven puzzles are assembled, they are designed to fit together in a 10-foot-tall representation of the human body. I decided we didn’t have the time or space for such an undertaking, but if your student aspires to be a doctor or is just really into human anatomy, you’ll want to check it out.

For now, we’ve set the 100-piece puzzle aside, but I plan to pull it out again later when Rebecca is ready to study human anatomy more in-depth.