It may not have escaped your notice but there is a lot of red, white and blue around right now. Not only is there a new Royal baby, but there’s also a Royal Wedding fast approaching. The prospect of getting out the Union Jack bunting may not excite everyone, but it does mean that brands are using every opportunity to become as patriotic as possible. I’m pretty sure the Ravensburger Union Jack 3D Sneaker puzzle was already in their range, but what a perfect excuse to promote it more.
We’re lucky enough to have reviewed one of these Ravensburger 3D Sneaker puzzles before, but it was such a hit that we were more than keen to have a go at this different design.
How the puzzle works
The way these 3D puzzles work is that the puzzle pieces are made out of plastic and interlock. This means that they hold the shape of the 3D object that they will end up being. For the sneaker, you also in the kit get a base to the shoe, and also a toe piece. The puzzle pieces fit into these to give it structural integrity.
You can put the puzzle together by trying to be clever and work out which pieces go where, but there is a simpler way. One the back of each puzzle piece is a printed number and these numbers tell you how to put the sneaker puzzle together. Starting at the sole of the sneaker you work round and up – following helpful arrows that are also on the reverse of the puzzle pieces.
It can be a little fiddly in places, but when you get the knack you can make quick progress. I did need to help seven year old LMC, but she was able to do a lot on her own. With only 108 puzzle pieces it doesn’t take too long to complete.
Completed puzzle
Once the puzzle is completed there is then a plastic “bucket” like piece that sits inside the neck of it. Not only does this add further to the structural integrity, but also means that it works perfectly as a pen-pot. My daughter is thrilled with the finished sneaker puzzle. It now takes pride of place on her desk, full of pens and pencils. It actually looks really cool on there too.
It’s also great to have a finished puzzle that serves a purpose too. Far preferable to it just being there to attract dust!
How to get hold of the Ravensburger 3D Union Jack Sneaker puzzle
The 3D sneaker puzzle is available to buy online here. At the time of writing, it has an RRP of £14.99.
Disclaimer: We were sent this Ravensburger Unions Jack 3D Sneaker Puzzle for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.