Originally posted 19 August 2018.
A while ago, I happened upon @veryverypuzzled on Instagram. I was so impressed by the account. Not only was it promoting an Africa map puzzle, which I am always here for, but it also shone a light on modern-day Black icons and historical kings, queens and rulers of Africa in a very engaging way. It was one of those pages that I tried to remember to check in on regularly, but then algorithms got in the way and I started missing posts and I refuse to use notifications, but that’s another story…
The girls love puzzles and, eventually, worked together to complete it. There are 100 pieces; however, it didn’t take them long at all, around 20 minutes. This was not a problem as the puzzle is way more than simply a map of Africa, which is obviously educational enough in itself. For example, I tried to impress the girls while they were working on it by dropping some generic, Africa-related, popular culture knowledge.
Me: *pointing to Madagascar on the box* “Did you know that Madagascar, like, as in the film Madagascar, is in Africa?”
Them: *blank stares at me* “Errrr, yeah…”
Me: *awkward side eyes at myself* “Ah…”
More importantly, the puzzle offers wonderful insight into Africa. The illustrations feature landmarks within each country, facilitating further discussion. For example, on the pieces that formed Nigeria, we discovered Aso Rock (which I knew about), the Benin Bronzes (which I knew about) and the Kainji hydro power station, one of 4 hydro power stations in Nigeria (which I was woefully ignorant about).
I seriously cannot rave enough about it. If you would like to support a small business that is doing something positive, then check them out here: http://verypuzzled.com/ The quality of the puzzle rivals anything that you might find in any other well-known, children’s toy establishment.
The puzzle would make a great present for any child (aged 6+ or an advanced younger child – you be the judge) and, possibly, any adult who would like to learn more about Africa. I, for one, am looking to frame it, once the kids have had enough …
Cee x
* Yes, we were gifted the Africa Map Puzzle. And, yes, all opinions presented above are completely honest and my own.
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