What if there was a way to put together a puzzle without the worry of losing pieces? The FlipStir Puzzles offers a new twist to 3D puzzles. They are self-contained puzzles that include 10 pieces in a tube with a stir stick. Simply shake it up to mix the pieces up and use the stick to manipulate them to put together the pictures.

The FlipStir Puzzles are available in two levels. Level 1 puzzles contain 10 pieces with straight edges where the pieces meet. The pieces are half circle pieces with the picture on the flat side of the pieces. The Level 2 puzzles also have 10 pieces that are a half circle with the picture on the flat side of the pieces. The difference between the Level 1 and Level 2 puzzles is that the Level 2 puzzles have curved edges where the pieces meet. This adds to the level of difficulty. Both, though, are recommended for ages 7+ and are $24.95 each. The final picture is provided as a sticker on the bottom for reference.

The FlipStir 3D Puzzle Game: Rainbow Pencils (Level 1) features rainbow colored pencils. The pencils are arranged in the order of the rainbow with the red starting on the left. It has the word “Rainbow” across it in large letters as well as each individual color’s word on the pencil. Because the puzzle has words across the length of the puzzle, we found it was a little easier to start.

The FlipStir 3D Puzzle Game: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Level 1) features the bones of a Tyrannosaurus Rex on a bright green background. It has the phrase “Tyrannosaurus Rex” with the words “King of the Tyrant Lizards” underneath it on the left side of the picture. Our kids particularly liked this puzzle because we love dinosaurs here. I appreciate that it does add to the educational experience by including “Cretaceous Period” at one end of the puzzle as well.

The FlipStir 3D Puzzle Game: Statue of Liberty (Level 2) features a picture of the Statue of Liberty with a yellow outline against a blue background. It has the words “Statue of Liberty” at the top and “New York, NY, USA” at the bottom. The words are smaller on this one, and the curved edges definitely make it more challenging!

Both our 10 year old, 8 year old, and myself have been using the FlipStir puzzles. As all three of us have fine-motor challenges, it was nice to not worry about dropping pieces but get to work on fine-motor skills at the same time as well. Level 2 was a little too challenging for the kids, but the best part is they feel they can try without getting frustrated.

Plus, we have discovered it is so much more than just using the stick to move pieces. Tilting the tube in different directions helps to scoot the pieces we don’t need out of the way to pull in the one we do. It’s so much more than just putting together pieces as it encourages critical thinking as well. Of course, it’s also nice that each puzzle contains pictures that can encourage learning. It’s easy to talk about the subject of each picture in detail while working on it. It’s been a unique supplement to our homeschool.

—Product review by Emilee Roberts, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2016