Laurens Studios Wooden Wildlife Jigsaw Puzzles are made in the barn studios that adjoin the farmhouse at Summerdust. A variety of skills and processes are employed to create the puzzles, from hand screen-printing to traditional woodwork. Up to twenty colours are printed separately in the same way as an original fine art print. After printing the puzzles are cut out by hand with a fretsaw and each piece is delicately sanded. The background layers are then glued to the tray base and the whole further sanded and finished to a high standard. Finally the puzzles are labelled and packaged. The multi-layered puzzles come in boxes that are also designed and printed at Laurens Studios.

Every step of the way, great care is taken to ensure that each jigsaw puzzle reaches the highest standard of craftsmanship. These toys are artist designed and hand made.Therefore there is a natural limit on how many can be produced, making them very collectable.

As a former teacher with a keen interest in wildlife, Geoffrey Laurens set out to design a handmade childrens toy that would make learning fun. The result is a unique collection of jigsaw puzzles. In each one, every single puzzle piece is individually shaped and links to other pieces in at least three main ways. This increases the complexity considerably. The intricate nature of how the pieces delicately fit together requires much careful thought and dexterity.

It may be beneficial for a young child to learn to do the multi-layered puzzles with some guidance from an adult.They demand exacting hand/eye co-ordination and observation on one level and the understanding of procedure on the other.

These puzzles are designed with education in mind and bear no relationship to conventional jigsaws which are cut on a mechanical jig, vary little and rely only on the number of pieces and the surface picture for their entertainment value. Laurens Studios jigsaw puzzles are designed to stimulate children's interest in the natural world and help them indentify the creatures represented, where they live and how they live. This is why it is helpful to have an adult present while the puzzle is being done to work together with the child to solve the puzzle, answer questions and initiate discussion about the animals. Each multi-layered puzzle comes with an information sheet providing interesting facts about each animal.