Game for the Getty

The other day, a friend of mine and I were talking about how much we love jigsaw puzzles. My brain makes a contented little sigh when I snap together interlocking pieces of cardboard to create calm – and a picture of kitties – from jumbled chaos. But my brain doesn't like having to stare at those same pieces of colorful cardboard scattered all over my dining table when the lasagna comes out of the oven and it's time to set the table.

Thank goodness for our homegrown J Paul Getty Museum, which recently relaunched its GettyGames site. Unlike many electronic jigsaw puzzles on other kid sites, this little artsy corner of the Web takes cool art from its collections and shatters it into up to 144 pieces.

Of course, jigsaw puzzles aren't the only draw. The site has a nice collection of other cool brainy games that are reminiscent of some favorite puzzles of my youth. In Detail Detective, you determine which smidgeon of art belongs to the full-sized painting. All of the games are a subtle and interactive way to expose kids to different paintings, sculptures and ceramics by artists that range from Van Gogh to Jacob van Hulsdonck (a Dutch painter who created Still Life With Lemons, Oranges and a Pomegranate, in case you're wondering).

The site also includes some cool little downloadable art projects. And, like the Getty itself, the games are free and free of advertising.