Product Showcase: 3-D Puzzles
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 6/30/2009 12:13:00 PM
This week’s Product Showcase features 3-D puzzles from Boikido, Family Games, FoxMind Games, Imagiplay and Ravensburger.

Intriguing Insect
The 4-piece Boikido Eco-Friendly Wooden Carole the Caterpillar ($23.99), for 18 months and up, is created with sustainable wood and non-toxic, water-based paints and packaged in recycled cardboard printed with soybean ink. Tested to meet both European and U.S. Safety Standards.
Boikido, Roissy, France
www.boikido.com

Why Knot?
The 16-piece wooden Celtic Knot Paradigm Puzzle, for ages 8 and up, is an intricately detailed, laser-cut pattern; puzzlers must refit the pieces back into the frame. With numerous solutions, it challenges spatial and logical thinking skills. It has a 7-out-of-10 difficulty rating.
Family Games Inc., Montreal
www.familygamesamerica.com

If You Build It…
Architecto ($34.95), for ages 6 and up, is part of the Brain Builder series, which aims to develop spatial logic through play. Kids use the 18 blocks to construct 3-D structures corresponding to one of the 50 illustrations in the challenge booklet. Simple to learn, difficult to master!
FoxMind Games, Montreal
www.foxmind.com

Crafty Challenge
The 17-piece ColorMeUp Butterfly ($14.99), for ages 3 and up, is both a puzzle and a craft kit in one. It includes watercolor paints for kids to decorate the pieces—crafted from eco-friendly, managed forest basswood—however they wish. Finished puzzle measures 5-by-4 inches.
Imagiplay, Boulder, Colo.
www.imagiplay.com

I Feel Pretty
The 96-piece Pretty Princess Puzzleball ($14.99), for ages 6 and up, features curved, plastic puzzle pieces that allow for easy assembly into a solid, smooth ball that measures 5 inches in diameter. No glue required! Includes a display stand and instructions, plus numbers on all pieces.
Ravensburger, Newton, N.H.
www.ravensburger.com
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