Review: Hape Spinning Balloons Puzzle

Hape Puzzles Review by VIP Club Member Fiona Thomas Product information Spinning Balloons: Hape's Spinning Balloons Puzzle combines two games in one! With its beautifully whimsical design and pop of colour put the pieces together to create the landscape of balloons in the sky. Ready, set, go, the shapes at the centre of each balloon also convert into fun spinning tops to be played on any hard, level surface! Spin the plastic handle and see who can keep their top spinning the longest. A fantastic opportunity to learn about shapes and different colours along the way, in the meantime developing reasoning and fine motor skills. Jobs Roundabout: With Hape's Jobs Roundabout, 19 piece, two sided jigsaw puzzle it’s your job to keep the city running! With a spinning feature to replicate that of a roundabout which also helps to solve the puzzle, give children the basic understanding of some of the vital jobs within the community such as fire fighter, teacher, postal worker, chef, doctor, and builder which adorns one side of the puzzle. Meanwhile the second side shows where exactly these professionals may work. Enjoy the brightly coloured characterful illustrations which help bring this puzzle to life piece by piece.

Review At first glance the puzzles are eye-catching and inviting with their unusual design and bright colours. They are made out of wood which is a bonus to those trying to avoid the plastic toys and they seem like they’d withstand even the most heavy handed child.   The Spinning Balloon Puzzle is aimed at 3+years and my 3.5 year old thoroughly enjoyed playing with it. The balloons double up as spinners and the chunky handles meant that my son managed this no problem much to his delight. While doing the puzzle we could also practice our colours, shapes and patterns which he did unprompted, always a good thing. Under the puzzle pieces is a removable piece of paper with a copy of the design on to help. Unfortunately, I don’t think that this would last long as it nearly ripped when removing for the first time. We have done this every day since receiving this and it’s become a firm favourite in our home.   The Jobs Roundabout Puzzle is aimed at a slightly older age range and my son required a little help but found it just as much fun. It’s reversible with one side showing people dressed in their uniform for certain jobs and the other with corresponding transport. This meant double the fun! The pictures are really detailed and we had fun spotting new things with each piece we put down. With so many pieces I think the box could’ve been made a little more durable as I doubt it will last and the pieces would end up lost.   They’re both great and get played with a lot by both my 3 and 5 year old, even my 6 month old loved watching the balloons spin. I’m sure they’ll be enjoyed for years to come. I would certainly recommend these, especially for the winter days inside to come.     Hape’s Spinning Balloon Puzzle is available to buy online for £16.99 from Amazon. Hape’s Jobs Roundabout Puzzle is available to buy online for £13.02 from Amazon.