Moon Jigsaw Puzzle

If you like jigsaw puzzles and you are fastinated with the moon, here are some moon puzzles that you may like. One of these moon puzzles has an awe-inspiring landscape that has captured the moon in its most gorgeous state and will take your breath, away! Another one is a beautiful image of the moon rising over the Iguazu Falls located on the border of Brazil and Argentina in South America. Finally there is one with a beautiful image of the moon rising over Mount Rainer. Solving a moon puzzle can be a relaxing way to enjoy the evening after a hard days work or just to get the family together and remember some of the images of the moon you experienced together.

Country Greetings

How calming is it to live in the country. The birds singing, the water flowing over the rocks in the stream and just the clop clop sound of a horse drawn wagon ride will lighten the heart. There are many ways to enjoy the countryside. You could take a walk through the park or take a trip to a country village cafe. Another way is to admire the beauty of an art jigsaw puzzle, once you have put it together. Art puzzles can be a way to escape the busy times in our life and take a few minutes each day to unwind and relax while assembling a puzzle. What are your favorite country scenes?

Dinosaur Puzzles For Kids

Practically every child in the world, at some point, has been enthused with dinosaurs and who can blame them. Actually, probably most adults are intrigued by the dinosaur facts that have shown up over the years. Dinosaurs were a great part of our world history, and even though we may never understand completely why they became extinct, the fact remains that walking with dinosaurs must have been an amazing feat, and we all, in some way, would like to know more about the mystery of dinosaurs. Children, of course, think that a dinosaurs are the most awesome creatures in the world. Dinosaurs for kids are plentiful. Stuffed animals, movies, action figures, dinosaur puzzles all represent to children what amazing creatures that dinosaurs were. As we get older, we don’t lose the awe that dinosaurs inspire in us. As new dinosaur facts are presented we are all glued to the television or newspaper just trying to comprehend the magnitude of the era in which dinosaurs ruled the world. And it seems that the more we know, the more we want to know. The sad thing is, we may never fully know what walking with dinosaurs would be like. We can put together dinosaur jigsaw puzzles, watch the movies and learning specials, but to have actually walked in their world is a feeling that seems out of reach. However, the more we learn about these amazing creatures, the more we can strive to place ourselves in their world. One day, it may be possible to get a feel of what living and walking with dinosaurs really was. Until then, we can still dream.

Jigsaw Puzzles Help Kids Learn

When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions; all of which they will use in school and beyond. Find a kids jigsaw puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for your child, and you may help him/her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole: a concept that will help him/her with math later on. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp. Children can work on kids jigsaw puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children. They can also work together on large puzzles and practice social skills like compromising and getting along. Because each child must concentrate on the puzzle individually, he experiences a sense of satisfaction as he picks up a piece, rotates it, and discovers the spot in which it fits. Piece by piece, he begins to recognize the picture that the puzzle represents. Good quality jigsaw puzzles for kids are a good investment because children can use them year after year. You may also look for puzzles at yard sales, thrift shops, and lending toy libraries. Children who are developing the ability to use scissors can cut pictures from magazines to create their own jigsaw puzzle. Simply mount the pictures on cardboard and cut into large pieces. Homemade puzzles can make great gifts, too!

Saturday Evening Post Jigsaw Puzzle

For over three quarters of a century, master artist Norman Rockwell has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of Americans with his beloved Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations. Born in New York in 1894, Norman Rockwell painted his first of 322 Saturday Evening Post covers at the age of 22. This remarkable affiliation would span two World Wars and chronicle the invention of telephone, radio, automobiles and television. These two 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles depict the rich quality in his art. No other artist’s imagery speaks so directly to the essence of American life. In a style rich with humor and candor, Norman Rockwell conveys the ideals of freedom, democracy and equality. Truly the "People’s Painter", Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers unveil the poignant beauty of everyday life. These superbly crafted Saturday Evening Post jigsaw puzzles encourage the rediscovery and enjoyment of a marvelous piece of American Art History; still so relevant for today.

Moose Jigsaw Puzzles

Moose are the largest of all the deer species. Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 6 feet from end to end. Moose have long faces that dangle over their chins. A flap of skin known as a bell sways beneath each moose's throat as seen in this moose puzzle.
Moose are so tall they prefer to graze on higher grasses and shrubs because it is difficult lowering their heads to the ground. In the winter they eat shrubs and pine cones, but they also scrape the snow with their large hooves to clear areas for eating mosses and lichens. These hooves also act as snowshoes to support these heavy animals in soft snow and in muddy or marshy ground.
In the summer, food is far more plentiful in the northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Moose are often seen in lakes, rivers, or wetlands, feeding on aquatic plants both at and below the surface. Moose are actually at home in the water and, despite their staggering size, they are good swimmers. They have been seen paddling several miles at a time, and will even submerge completely, staying under for 30 seconds or more. They can run up to 35 miles an hour over short distances, and trot steadily at 20 miles an hour.
Males, called bulls, bellow loudly to attract mates each September and October as seen in the beautiful courtship of this colorful moose jigsaw puzzle. The usually solitary bulls may come together at this time to battle with their antlers for mating supremacy. After mating, the two sexes go their separate ways until the following year. Though they may occasionally feed in the same grounds, they tend to ignore each other. Females give birth to one or two calves in the spring—each weighing some 30 pounds. These calves grow quickly and can outrun a person by the time they are just five days old. Young moose stay with their mothers until the following mating season and then are on their own.

Stuffed Black Panther

A realistic stuffed black panther with soft black fur would be an exotic pal for any age child.

Black panthers are born of black or fair-colored spotted leopards, along with other fair-colored spotted leopard cubs. Black Panthers are known by different names in different parts of the world. In Latin America, Black Panthers are known as black jaguars; in Asia and Africa, they are called black leopards, whereas in North America, they are called black cougars. They are carnivorous mammals, which are excellent tree-climbers. Black Panthers are listed in the group of endangered species. Black Panthers are known to have large paws that are very strong. They have soft pads and fur in between their toes, which enable them to have a silent walk while chasing its prey. They can also pull their claws in while walking or running which helps keep them sharp. Can you imagine if your child or grandchild was the only one at school that had a plush black panther? He or She would probably be the most popular kid in kindergarten.

Beautiful Stuffed White Tiger

This beautiful stuffed white tiger would make a great companion for practically any age! There are only around 200 of the white tigers left in the world. White tigers are an Asian species, found from the frozen tundra of the Soviet Far East, south to the humid jungles of Malaya and Indonesia, and west to the hot, hardwood forests of India. There are only five living subspecies; three others are already extinct. Current estimates put the world population of wild tigers at about 5,000-7,000, the most numerous race being the Bengal race. Tigers are a protected species all over the world. Even though it's completely illegal to hunt them, people are still slaying these beautiful creatures. Jungle stuffed animals are a great way to learn more about some of these endangered species.

Colors Of A Sunset

Have you ever wondered why sunsets are so colorful? Sometimes they have many different colors and it seems every sunset is a little different. Look at these two sunset puzzles. They look vastly different. Why do you think this is? Look how the sunset puzzle on the right has brighter red and orange colors. The intense red and orange of the sky at sunset are mainly caused by the scattering of sunlight by dust particles, soot particles, other solid aerosols, and liquid aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere. When there are no particulates in the troposphere, such as after a big rain storm, then the sunlight is scattered by air molecules and transparent gases which leads to a less colorful sunset. Sunset colors are typically more brilliant and more intense than sunrise colors, since there are generally more particles and aerosols in the evening air than in the morning air. Nighttime air is usually cooler and less windy, which allows dust and soot particles to settle out of the atmosphere. Sunrise color intensities can however exceed sunset's intensities when there are nighttime fires, volcanic eruptions or emissions, or dust storms to the east of the viewer.

Turtle Puzzle

Look at these turtle puzzles. What do you see? Dumb question right? I know you see turtles. You might be thinking, what is the big deal about a turtle puzzle. Well much can be learned about the condition of the planet's environment by looking at sea turtles. They have existed for over 100 million years, and they travel throughout the world's oceans. Suddenly, however, they are struggling to survive. Why is this you might ask. That is the bigger picture. They are struggling to survive largely because of things people are doing to the planet's oceans and beaches. But what does this mean for the human species?It is possible that a world in which sea turtles can not survive may soon become a world in which humans struggle to survive. If we can learn from our mistakes and begin changing our behavior, there is still time to save sea turtles from extinction. In the process, we will be saving one of the earth's most mysterious and time-honored creatures. You know, we might just be saving ourselves too. Now you ask yourself, what can I do to help. Well there are many things you can do. Start by searching the internet. There are tons of websites and clubs you can join. Many places to send donations and there is even a sea turtle hospital in Marathon Florida you could visit in the Florida Keys. Perhaps you just want to solve a turtle jigsaw puzzle. Anything you can do to participate will help. The question is, what will you do?

Coca Cola Jigsaw Puzzle

Here are some interesting facts about Coca Cola you may not have known. Coca Cola was first made in Atlanta, Georgia and to this day, the headquarters remains in Atlanta. In fact, Atlanta is home to the World of Coca Cola, which features flavors from around the world. While visiting, you'll be able to try 70 different beverage products. On May 8, 1886 Dr. John Stith Pemberton made the first batch of syrup for Coca Cola. Another fun fact was that Coke was originally intended to be a type of medicine. This was typical of many sodas in the 1800s. Another fun fact is that Pepsi would be invented just a few years later in North Carolina. Coca Cola has become extremely popular. There are even Coca Cola jigsaw puzzles you can buy. One 40 piece Coca Cola puzzle is three dimensional and in the shape of a can. In fact, the brand sells 1.4 billion servings each day, which is up from 9 servings back in 1886 when it was developed. You could show someone a Coke can and they'll be able to tell you what it is, even if they live in Tokyo. No other brand is as recognizable as Coke is. One last fact is that Coca Cola is the most popular soft drink in the entire world. Pepsi is a close second followed by Mountain Dew. While the numbers change from time to time, Coke has always had the upper hand at the holidays. After all, the image of Santa Claus (the one we think of today) was made for the Coke Company.

What Is A Wasgij Puzzle?

If you are a puzzler you probably already know what Wasgij Puzzles are. If you are a fairly new puzzler you may be saying "what is a wasgij puzzle". Well our friends at Ravensburger make a puzzle that shows you a picture on the box that is only a clue to what the picture on the puzzle is. The picture on the box will show you some sort of setting like a picnic, sporting event, or camping excursion where there are people or animals that are running scared looking over their shoulder or all in the same direction. Then the actual picture on the puzzle will reveal what everyone is running from. This is some real rainy day fun or a good way for the whole family to relax after a long day and ads a bit of anticipation to the puzzle. It is fun trying to figure out what the mystery is before the puzzle is complete. You can even make a game out of it to see who can figure it out first. What do you think about a puzzle that does not give you the final picture on the box, but only a clue?

Fun Hippo Facts

Hey kids, how many of you have a stuffed hippo? They are not very popular are they? Hippos are the third largest animal in Africa. Only the elephant and the rhinoceroses are bigger. There are some interesting facts that you may not have known about Hippos. Did you know that Hippos spend most of the day submerged in rivers or lakes? The only part of them that is out of the water is their eyes, ears and nose. This way they can see, breathe and hear while the rest of their body is under water keeping them cool from the hot sun of Africa. They only come out of the water at night and will walk up to 5 miles to find short grasses to graze on. The word Hippopotamus comes from two Greek words meaning river horse. They even have webbed toes to help them paddle through the water. When they go all the way under water their ears, eyes and nose automatically close so no water gets in and they can actually walk along the river bottom and hold their breathe for up to 5 minutes. Hippos are 12 to 15 feet long and can weigh up to 5000 to 8000 pounds. That is as big as a pickup truck. Their two tusks in their lower jaw can grow up to a foot long. Don't worry though they only eat vegetation, grasses and water plants, but don't go near them because they do not fear humans and are considered one of Africa's most dangerous animals. Baby hippos are born under water and can swim almost from the moment they are born. They even nurse under water. Hippos can live up to 40 years old in the wild. Lions, crocodiles, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs will often kill baby hippos, but the adult hippos are rarely attacked. People used to think that hippos sweat blood but that is not true. Actually, hippos' sweat has an oily red pigment in it that makes it look like blood. Now you know some interesting facts about hippos you can have one of the first stuffed hippos in your class and tell them all about it.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Do you love the smell of fresh cut flowers sitting on the kitchen table in the spring? Some people just do not feel they have the knack to arrange flowers. It is true that arranging flowers is an art form but anyone can get enjoyment from trying. Even if you don't have a single vase in the house, you can still enjoy cut flowers. Look at the arrangement in this flower puzzle on the left. Wine, beer, and mineral water bottles come in interesting shapes and colors. These containers effectively make arrangement a very basic affair that anyone can do. Be sure to choose flowers with large heads like gerbera, lilies, orchids or sunflowers - add one stem per bottle and line them up on your mantelpiece. Jugs, teapots, tumblers, baskets like the one in this flower jigsaw puzzle, and even jam jars can all be used for displaying flowers and other plants. With smaller containers such as teapots and jam jars, the flowers look better with short cut stems. This style makes the flower heads appear to "float" on the rim of the pot. Choose flowers with full heads like carnations, dahlias, chrysanthemums and daffodils. Mass in separate colors or fill out with interesting foliage for a rural countryside look. Glasses and jars can also be put inside more attractive non-waterproof containers to hold the water for the flowers. What do you have around the house you could put some fresh flowers in?

Color Puzzle

Do you have children at the age where they are learning their colors? Most children love spending time with their parents and grandparents. Solving colorful jigsaw puzzles could be a way to enjoy quality time together as well as help them learn their colors. Children's minds are like sponges and are always looking for more information to soak up. You could have them help you by sorting colors or picking a piece of a certain color to put into the puzzle. They will also learn puzzle strategies just by watching you. Here are a few color puzzles that I found for you to look at.

Wooden Puzzles Teach About Animals

Try a wooden puzzle to teach your children about animals. Children love animals and love solving puzzles. You can get a Forest Friends Wood Puzzle, Grand Canyon Wildlife Wood Puzzle, Safari Friends Wood Puzzle, and more to get your children excited about learning. Sometimes as parents it is a challenge to get our children excited about learning. Do you hear "I'm bored" throughout the summer or spring breaks? Wooden jigsaw puzzles are small enough they do not take all day to do yet interesting enough to keep them interested. Behind the pieces of these puzzles are interesting facts about the animals in the puzzle. This makes learning fun. Try some wooden puzzles this summer, you won't be disappointed.

Last Supper Jigsaw Puzzle

Has even the Last Supper been supersized? Now researchers are saying the food in famous paintings of the meal has grown by biblical proportions over the last millennium. Does the food in this Last Supper Jigsaw Puzzle look supersized to you? Using a computer, these researchers compared the size of the food to the size of the heads in 52 paintings of Jesus Christ and his disciples at their final meal before his death. What they found it that the size of the main dish grew 69 percent; the size of the plate, 66 percent, and the bread, 23 percent, between the years 1000 and 2000. Why is the food in paintings like this and panoramic jigsaw puzzles portraying the Last Supper being supersized? The Bible says the Last Supper took place on a Passover evening but gives little detail on specific foods besides bread and wine. "There's nothing else mentioned. They don't say there's a fruit cup or carrot cake," though other foods such as fish, eel, lamb and even pork have appeared in paintings through the years. The paintings used in the study were featured in the book "Last Supper," published in 2000 by Phaidon Press. They include perhaps the most famous portrayal of the meal, by Leonardo da Vinci. Computer technology allowed them to scan, rotate and calculate images regardless of their orientation in the paintings. Details are in the April issue of the International Journal of Obesity. Some do not think this is very meaningful science. We have real life examples of the increase in portion size — all you have to do is look at what's being sold at fast-food restaurants. A more contemporary test would be to analyze portion sizes in Super Bowl commercials. That would be a much more meaningful snapshot of how this society's relationship to food has changed.

Choosing A Jigsaw Puzzle

Choosing a jigsaw puzzle for the first time or less experienced puzzlers should choose an image which has various distinct areas of color. You should also choose a puzzle with an image that appeals to you. For example; if you enjoy the oceans and beaches you might want to start with a beach puzzle or ocean puzzles. Photos or drawings with distinct lines are easier than paintings because the brush strokes cause object boundaries to become blurred. Also the artist may use the exact same color in several places on the painting. A first timer may wish to try 300, 500 or 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles for starters, and then progress to a larger number of pieces from there.

John Wayne Jigsaw Puzzle

When you think of Legendary American actors, who comes to mind first. For me it has to be John Wayne. This John Wayne puzzle, created from the US Postal Service commemorative stamp collection, depicts the rough and tough man we call the DUKE. He was a giant on and off the screen and no one who observed his struggle in those final days could doubt that his strength was real. For an incredible 25 years he was rated at the top in box-office appeal. His films grossed over $700 million. This is a record no performer in Hollywood has come close to matching. John Wayne was more than an actor; he was a force around which films were made. As Elizabeth Taylor Warner stated last May when testifying in favor of the special gold medal Congress struck for him: “He gave the whole world the image of what an American should be.” If you are looking for a good cowboy puzzle to put together this might be the one.

Large Format Puzzles

There are many people who love putting together jigsaw puzzles but are getting older and have a hard time handling and seeing the small pieces. There are large format puzzles out there that have bigger than average pieces. This makes them easier to see and easier to handle. Children that do not have their small motor skills perfected yet can start solving these large piece jigsaw puzzles. Does this mean the puzzles are less challenging? No. They are still a challenge to put together, the pieces are just easier to see and handle. Here are a couple of large format puzzles. Do you think they would be fun to put together?

Unconditional Love

Take a look at these two 1000 piece puzzles. We love our pets so much. One out of every three households in America have pets. Many of them being dogs. These two dog puzzles show us just how much we love our dogs and how frustrated we can be with them at the same time. Sometimes having pets can be like having children. They can be a companion that will give you unconditional love. Our dogs will typically love us no matter what. How many times do you walk in from a long day and walk right past your dog who is sitting at the door wagging his tail in anticipation of a glance or a two minute pet on the head. The next day there he sits again. Then when they do something to upset you, like walk on your freshly painted porch like the ones in this dog puzzle, how can you be upset with them when they give you those innocent puppy eyes. You know they would not do anything intentionally to upset you but yet you yell and scowl at them and the next day there they sit again, waiting patiently for a mere two minutes of your time. If that is not unconditional love I do not know what is. We should treat our loved ones with this kind of unconditional love and the world might be a better place. Will you try harder to be patient with your children after reading this?

Selecting The Best Chocolates

When eating chocolate you always want to choose the best chocolate. Does that mean you need to know the difference between all the pieces on this chocolates puzzle, or the difference between Godiva and Hershey's? Nope. Choosing the best chocolate just means knowing what's in it. By paying close attention to the ingredients, you will be able to select the best chocolate most of the time.

The first thing to do is flip over the chocolate and look at the ingredients. You should recognize them all. Dark Chocolate should all have: 1) Cocoa liquor. Sometimes called cocoa, cocoa solids, cocoa mass, or chocolate. (It is not actually a liquor and does not contain any alcohol.) 2) Sugar. Molasses, cane juice, and other natural sweeteners are acceptable substitutes. 3) Cocoa butter. 4) Vanilla is optional. Vanillin is a fake vanilla made from pine sap. You should avoid it! 5) Soy lecithin is also optional. This just helps the chocolate bind together better. It is sold as a health food supplement, although some argue that it is not healthy. 6) Finally any add-ins, such as nuts, fruits, or flavorings but make sure none of them are artificial or hydrogenated. The ingredients should roughly fall in that order too. The Cocoa liquor should always be first though.

Milk chocolate can have all of the above, plus milk, which will be in the form of whole milk, milk powder, cream, etc. There's less cocoa mass in milk chocolate, so it doesn't need to be first on the list. Usually sugar will be first. White chocolate doesn't have the cocoa mass, just the cocoa butter.

Chocolate has different flavors depending on the species of bean and the conditions in which the bean was grown. Unfortunately much of the world's cocoa is grown under brutal working conditions, often by child slaves. If you purchase Fair Trade or Organic chocolate you will be paying a little more but you will also help to make a better planet and get better chocolate too.

Also, pay attention to the packaging. If they didn't care much about the package, they probably don't care much about the chocolate. Just like most things. If you bought a chocolate puzzle that came in a dented up box you might think the puzzle is damaged too.

That’s all there is to it! Simple, right? Next time you’re in the store, try this test and compare a Hershey’s with a Godiva bar. Hershey’s may not be the world’s best chocolate, but at least it doesn't contain butter oil, hydrogenated oils, and vanillin like Godiva’s does!

The Earth's In Our Hands

Hey Kids what is Pollution? Is it stinky stuff? Is it muck? Is it poison? Yes, it is all those things... and much, much more. You can see some types of pollution, like smoke but there is so much of it that you do not even know is there. You cannot smell it, hear it, or feel it. Yet you're eating it and drinking it and breathing it most of the time. And what is worse is that all this muck affects all other forms of life on Earth too. You can find pollution made by people just about everywhere on the planet. Even remote places in the middle of the dessert to the cold waters of the Antarctic are badly polluted by nasty chemicals made by people. The Polar bears, whales and seals have poisonous chemicals made by people in their bodies. These nasty things kill many animals and make others sick -- including penguins in the Antarctic. They also kill people and make them ill too. There's nowhere on the planet left with no pollution; not even the bottom of the sea or high up in the air. This is bad news and I'm very sad about it. Look at how beautiful the ocean can be. Wouldn't it be nice if your children could enjoy it too? I think we can all make a difference though. There is a cool Ravensburger jigsaw puzzle at the top of the page that says it all. The name of the puzzle is " The Earth's In Our Hands ". Ravensburger puzzles are the best puzzles out there and by putting together one of these puzzles, framing it and putting it on your wall, you can show your support for our earth. Will you do something today to make the world a better place?

Visual Stimulation Helps Learning

Look at this Sweets And Treats 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. What do you see? How does it make you feel? Some experts believe what we take in through our eyes to be the most influential of all our senses. Our brain takes in and stores all the conscious and subconscious, subtle and overt nuances of all we see. These "imprints" can have a positive or negative influence on our ability and speed at which we learn. For example, then party puzzle picture above that has all sorts of candy, cupcakes, candles, etc., will imprint our consciousness much differently that a picture of a burning house, or a picture of a recently bombed city in Iraq. When we see these two images, the sweets and treats jigsaw puzzle above may invoke feelings of peace, love, togetherness and uplifting states of mind. The picture of a burning house may invoke feelings of stress and sadness. Science shows we learn better when we feel at peace. Allowing our young children to see destructive images does not activate the parts the brain congruent with accelerated learning power. On the contrary, it actually blocks some types of learning. Do you think soving an uplifting puzzle with your children will put them in a state of mind more condusive to learning?

World's Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle

I thought I had found some hard jigsaw puzzles in my day but boy was I mistaken. One tough puzzle is a puzzle that only has nine pieces but has 300,000 wrong ways to put it together and only one right way. I thought this was the most difficult jigsaw puzzle in the world. Then I found a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle that is double-sided. It has the same picture on both sides, rotated 90 degrees from each other. Jigsaw puzzles are cut in a press stamped out like cookie dough. That is why the top of the puzzle has a groove and the bottom is flat. Now having a double sided puzzle will make any puzzle hard, but any savvy puzzler would easily pick up on this and would be able to tell which side is up and which side is down. Well guess what, there is still another twist to these puzzles. These puzzles are cut once from each side. The vertical locks are cut from the front and the horizontal locks are cut from the back. Now there is no way to tell which side is which! You have to compare both sides of each piece. If the piece doesn't fit exactly, you've got it wrong. I believe this is the world's most difficult puzzle. I bet you can't wait to try this one can you?

Trains - When And Why

Have you ever been trying to solve a train puzzle and start wondering how long trains and railways have been around? Most people think of the railways as being invented only a couple hundred years ago. They actually had railways over 500 years ago. Back then railways were built in European mines to help move coal from one end of the mine to the other. Miners used wagons that had a metal pin on the bottom which was fitted between two wooden planks which allowed them to guide the wagons through the mines along these planks. The miners called these wagons "dogs" because of the noise they made. There were no engines, or even horses to push or pull the wagons along, the miners had to push them around themselves.

The first railway was built in Britain in 1604, but it was called a wagonway back then. It was made of wood, was only two miles long, and cost $166. Wooden railways started to spread throughout the country. During the 1700s and 1800s is when people began making them out of iron. The nice thing about iron railways is they could carry heavier loads. By this time people were getting tired of pushing these wagons so then they were pulled by horses instead of people. The trains in these train puzzles have come a long way since the old horse pulled trains. Do you think this is where they came up with horse power?

Stuffed Frogs Aid In Teaching

Looking for a unique gift? How about a stuffed frog. Sounds unusual, I know, but children love frogs, and they love stuffed animals so why not? There are a lot of different species of frogs and this could be a good way to get our kids into learning more about frogs. Are frogs the most important thing our children need to learn about? NO. However, it is the skill of learning that is important and stuffed frog toys can aid in this learning process. There are parts of the US that have deformed frogs and research is being done to find out why they are like this. If frogs are being affected by something in nature causing them to be born with more than two eyes or only three legs, etc., who is to say that the same thing could not happen to humans. It is good to get our children into learning about all kinds of animals. Also, frogs are cute, fun and some are colorful. What do you think about a child cuddling up to a plush frog right next to his teddy bear?

Red-Eyed Tree Frog Puzzle

It is important for the red-eyed tree frog to blend in with its environment. Being green helps them blend in with the leaves. Here is a challenge for you. Can you find the red-eyed tree frog in the frog puzzle on the left? There are two reasons that a red-eyed tree frog needs to blend in with its environment. First so their preditors cannot see them. Second so their prey cannot see them. They are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. They rest during the day. When one of these frogs sits still on a green leaf with its legs tucked in and eyes shut, it seems almost invisible. So did you find the red-eyed tree frog in the frog jigsaw puzzle?

Frogs Gone Wild

Have our frogs gone wild or is it something in the water? In August 1995, a bunch of kids from Minnesota, who love frog puzzles, found some frogs that had some weird characteristics and didn't look like normal frogs. Some of the frogs had missing legs, some had extra legs, and some were missing eyes or had some other deformities. The children were very worried about the frogs so they went to their teacher, and together contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Thanks to the watchful efforts of these children, lots of research has been done to find out what is causing these deformities. Unfortunately no one really knows for sure what is causing them. Some possible causes that scientists are researching include: contaminated water, ultraviolet radiation caused by a depleted ozone layer, parasites, or chemicals in the environment. Have you found any of these frogs in your area or seen any frog jigsaw puzzles with these frogs depicted on them?