Reindeer Puzzle by Eguchi Toys – Two-Layer Wooden Animal Puzzle

Reindeer Puzzle by Eguchi Toys turns reindeer in a snowy pine forest into a chunky, two-layer wooden puzzle that's as good on a shelf as it is on the play table.

It's part of Eguchi Toys' animal puzzle series, alongside the Polar Bear and the Lion.

The Design Story

Eguchi Toys builds its animal puzzles in layers. The first wooden layer introduces the animal; lift it out and the second layer shows its home in nature, so a puzzle becomes a small lesson in where animals live. The pieces are nearly two centimeters thick, with a smooth natural-wood feel that's easy for children to grip.

Kentaro Eguchi trained as a fine artist at New York's School of Visual Arts, then spent decades in early-childhood classrooms: he is a qualified Montessori teacher and opened Ivy's House Montessori kindergarten in Taipei in 1997. In 2015 he started Eguchi Toys, where designers, carpenters and preschool educators work side by side, and the pieces have since travelled to Maison&Objet Paris and the Nuremberg International Toy Fair.

Why You'll Love It

• The two layers give it real depth, so it reads like a relief carving when finished.
• Thick pine and birch plywood pieces feel substantial and survive years of play.
• It challenges hand, eye and brain together, which is why Eguchi calls puzzles an intellectual activity.
• It's designed by a Montessori teacher and US CPSIA tested.

Made for Real Life

At 10 by 8 inches it fits on a bookshelf, a desk or a nursery dresser. Tip it out, rebuild it, and stand it back up as decor. Rated for ages 3 and up.

Product Details

A Gift That Lasts

A birthday or holiday gift for an animal-loving three- or four-year-old, or a set of two with the Polar Bear for a playroom wall shelf.

Questions We Hear Most

Can the Reindeer Puzzle by Eguchi Toys be displayed as decor?

Yes, the distributor describes it as great for display. Stand it on a shelf or desk; no wall-hanging hardware is listed.

What makes the Reindeer Puzzle different from a flat jigsaw?

It has two wooden layers: the animal on top and its natural habitat underneath, with pieces nearly 2 cm thick.

Is the Reindeer Puzzle too hard for a three-year-old?

It's rated 3+, but it's meant to be a challenge, so expect to help the first few times.

Which animals come in the Eguchi Toys puzzle series?

Reindeer, Polar Bear and Lion. The Lion is currently sold out at our distributor.

Is the Reindeer Puzzle a nice gift for an animal lover?

Very much so: it's a toy, a lesson about habitats and a small piece of decor in one.

Why We Love It

Most children's products are designed to be replaced. Eguchi Toys designs the opposite: a few honest objects in wood, shaped by a teacher who has spent decades watching how children learn, and beautiful enough that nobody wants to hide them away.

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