FlipStir Puzzle Review

With so many kid’s toys being battery operated and electronic these days, it is nice to find ones that are fueled by good old fashioned brain power. FlipStir puzzles are a new, handheld puzzle that lets the user assemble a puzzle without all of the mess of traditional puzzle pieces. With FlipStir puzzles, the puzzle pieces stay inside of the cylinder in one neat place, and the stir stick is instead used to manipulate the pieces. Pretty interesting idea, right?

I recently had the chance to review a 10 piece FlipStir puzzle, specifically the rainbow pencil puzzle. When you open the puzzle you simply shake, stir, and then solve the puzzle. Using the stick you can move the pieces around until they are correctly stacked and the image is completed. The pieces never leave the cylinder and you never actually touch them.

Upon opening the piece noticed how durable the toy was. The colors are bright and the toy itself was appealing to my children. They were excited to shake the cylinder and mix the pieces up, and even more excited to put it back together. The sample we tried out was a 10 piece puzzle and considered “easy” on the level indicator. It was quite challenging for them (and even for me!) and the puzzle is still a work in progress. After a few days we have still not been able to finish the puzzle, but we are continuing to try!

Layering the pieces on top of each other with the stick is by no means easy, which makes it a great toy for the child who loves a challenge. It would not be ideal for a child who is easily frustrated however, since the puzzle does require patience to put together. I could see the FlipStir puzzle being a great product to help encourage hand and eye coordination as well as fine motor skills. It is a unique spin on the traditional puzzle and is a great way to keep kids entertained. I could see this being a great toy to take on car rides as it doesn’t have a quick solution. It would also be ideal since all of the pieces are contained in the cylinder making it a mess free option.

If you are looking for a new toy that is fun and educational, the FlipStir Puzzle may be a nice fit for you.