Piecing together some fun with your family
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Piece together the Paris of the impressionist and post-impressionist painters and discover the people and places that made up their world.
We love putting things together, whether it’s a puzzle, a science kit, a brick tower, clues to an Escape-the-Room game or anything else. Those feelings of satisfaction can’t be beat — especially if you’ve worked with someone else (or a group of others) to accomplish your goal. Here are some great activities that will help you and your family piece together a lot of fun.
Story Box Animal Adventures
Laurence King
The latest in Laurence King’s growing Story Box series gives you all the tools you need to create a unique animal-based story. The kit contains 20 double-sided puzzle pieces (illustrated by Claudia Boldt) that can be put together, flipped and arranged in any combination. If you use all the pieces, your story will be more than 8 feet long. But whatever you do, you and your child can work together to tell a different tail (hey, it’s animal-themed) every time. Ages 3 and older. $14.99, laurenceking.com
I Saw It First! Jungle
Laurence King
This is a unique spin on the spot-it-type game, because the game board itself is different every time. Fully assembled, the board features 300 jungle animals. Pull a tile from the bag and everyone races to be the first to find that animal. Some you’ll recognize, like the elephant, the leopard, the hippo and the gorilla. But others, like the giraffe weevil, the wire-tailed manakin and the eyelash viper will be a real challenge. Great for learning about animals. Under $20, laurenceking.com
The Story of Impressionism
Laurence King
For many people, the goal of putting together a puzzle is to, well, put together the puzzle. But why not go a step further and learn something? This 1,000-piece jigsaw is a delightful introduction to the people and places of the impressionist and post-impressionist eras. You’ll meet artists like Pierre August Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, novelists and thinkers like Oscar Wilde and Emile Zola, and many others. You’ll also discover places like the Moulin Rouge, the river Seine, and the Paris Opera. About $16, laurenceking.com
