#aSIMPLEChristmas with flipstir :: a stocking-sized, self-contained 3-d puzzle

Raise your hand if you like puzzles.  Now raise your hand if you like doing a puzzle only to realize pieces are missing.  How about the noise a puzzle piece makes when being sucked into your vacuum?  Or the mess of a half-completed puzzle sitting on your living room coffee table.  What if I told you there is a puzzle that is challenging enough for the older children and adults in your family that doesn’t make a mess at all.  You can’t lose pieces, it won’t take up your coffee table and it’s completely self-contained.

Now you can have the challenge of a puzzle without any of the mess with Flipstir by Enlivense.  Each Flipstir is a 10-piece 3-D puzzle that is house in a plastic cylinder.  Pieces are moved with a wand that has a handle on the outside.  And, while it may just be a 10 piece puzzle, it is a real challenge.  We tried the Flipstir once before (read about that here) and decided to up the challenge to a Level 2.  Still just 10 pieces, but now the pieces have scalloped edges and it’s harder to tell which piece needs to end up in each space.  I highly recommend starting with a Level 1 Flipstir and then adding to your collection with a Level 2 if anyone in the family wants a bigger challenge.  My son and I have mastered the Level 1, but the rest of our family is still working on it.

My son is the Flipstir master at our house.  He keeps the Flipstir in the car and loves working on it while we’re on trips.  That’s the nice thing about these puzzles.  You shake them up and solve them.  After a brief gloating that you did, in fact, solve the Flipstir, you can shake it up and solve it again.  Each time is still a challenge.  And each time is FUN!  I should also mention that using the wand to solve the puzzle is amazing for hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Don’t just take my word for it!  Flipstir has won several awards this year including Puzzle of the Year by Creative Child Magazine, Family Choice Award, Dr. Toy’s Top 10 and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval.