If you know Plus-Plus, you’ll know how satisfying those little pieces are to click together. The Danish toy brand has now turned them into a range of puzzles, including one of our favourites: Peanuts. As long-time puzzle fans, we had no idea what this was when it dropped through our postbox. What first caught our attention was the packaging: instead of a traditional box, everything arrives neatly packed in a tube. It’s a clever design, practical for storage and unusual enough to keep kids guessing what’s inside if you’re gifting a set.
Inside, you’ll find 275 pieces, and although the puzzle says ages 7+ on the pack, we think it’s fine for ages 5+ if you’re doing this alongside your kids.
Puzzling reimagined: the Plus-Plus twist.
We’ve been testing the Woodstock version, and the idea is simple. Every piece is the same Plus-Plus shape, so instead of figuring out where different-shaped pieces fit, you build the image through colour and position.
You can do this directly over the supplied poster, which makes things much easier, or use the image as a guide and try to build it without. Our six-year-old preferred following the poster, while our ten-year-old was happy to go freestyle, so there’s plenty of flexibility depending on age. The kids commented most on clicking the pieces together, since it’s super tactile and strangely satisfying to push the little shapes into place, which feels quite different from a traditional jigsaw.
Following along with the supplied poster makes it fairly straightforward, but building without it takes a little more thought, practice and patience. The whole concept sits somewhere between a construction toy and a puzzle.
“Our two were hooked straight away, and it travels well, which suits us on days out to see grandparents. Just clear a big table first and don’t plan anything else for the next half hour, because nobody wants to stop.”
Building Woodstock together.
The first time we tried it, we did it as a family, without rushing, and finished it in around 20 minutes which is a far-cry from the days we’ve spent on puzzles before. That felt great. Once our youngest saw how it worked, he could carry on with little help, and because everyone can add to a different part without hunting for a specific piece, it works particularly well as something to do together. Once finished, the whole thing is surprisingly sturdy too. You can pick it up and hold it upright without it falling apart, and we wondered whether it would look nice hung on a wall or put in a simple frame. Ours didn’t last long enough for that. The kids broke it apart almost immediately, mostly because pulling all the pieces apart is nearly as satisfying as putting them together.
The smart design details we noticed.
Putting everything back into the tube is easy, largely thanks to the pieces all being the same shape. The compact packaging makes it particularly convenient to store or take away with you, and although we probably wouldn’t get 275 tiny pieces out in a public space, it’s an easy thing to take to grandparents, on holiday or to a friend’s house.
Our one small criticism is the poster. For younger children, it’s an important part of the experience, as they can build directly on the printed image and follow each piece’s placement. The paper feels a little delicate for something that’s likely to be used repeatedly, particularly with small hands placing and removing pieces on top of it so a more durable version would have been a welcome addition.
“I like that the puzzle is creative; it’s different to my other puzzles, and it’s so satisfying to put it together.”
— Hari, Age 7.
Our final thoughts.
Plus-Plus has a nice product line-up, and the puzzle range would make a good gift. We can see the kids getting this out now and then, but like any puzzle, months may pass between uses. If you want a compact, repeatable activity with a fresh twist, this feels like a strong choice and at the current price (approx. £15), this would make a nice small gift with a difference.
- What We Like: It’s a unique way to puzzle, with plenty of re-use factor. It’s neatly packaged and easy to take to the grandparents’ house.
- What to Consider: The poster is crucial for younger children, who like to trace the image with the pieces. If it’s ripped, it’s much harder to build the puzzle, so keep it safe. You just incase you’re wondering, you can’t officially build anything else out of this, but all the pieces across the Plus-Plus range are the same so just like Lego, you probably could if you tried!
- Where to buy: Plus Plus is widely available in the UK, and at the point of reviewing this we’ve already started to notice it popping up in museum’s, stores and even garden centres. Also, available online of course at www.plus-plus.com
