For many, the journey is the most difficult, stressful, and arduous part of traveling. Actually getting to the destination feels like a chore in comparison to the positives commonly associated with travel. Regardless of the mode of transport, whether you’re stuck in the middle seat on a plane, crammed in the car for a road trip, or trying to pass the hours on a train, the journey itself starts to feel tedious as the usual distractions run dry. Scrolling through your phone, binge-watching shows, or diving into a book can only take you so far before the boredom begins to set in.
That’s where 3D puzzles and brainteasers come in, the best way to occupy your mind while traveling. These compact, engaging challenges are the perfect companions for long trips. Not only do they keep your brain active and your hands busy, but they also offer a much-needed break from screens and technology. Whether you’re solving solo or sharing the fun with your fellow travelers, puzzles bring a sense of accomplishment and joy to those in-between moments of your trip.
In this blog, we will cover some of the reasons as to why 3D wooden puzzles are ideal for killing time while traveling, as well as the different types of puzzles that work best in these instances. In the end, we will provide a short list of puzzles that we think work perfectly as travel companions due to a few key characteristics that we will discuss later.
Why are 3D puzzles so perfect to use while traveling?
Puzzles are an ideal way to stay engaged when there is not much else going on around you. It’s a chance to put your phone down and spend some time improving on your cognitive and logical reasoning skills. When there is nothing else in your world going on, and you are without internet or company, why not fill that time with fun and intellectually stimulating puzzles?
Thanks to the nature of 3D puzzles, they are a great distraction from the monotony of a long journey. Some people who suffer from motion sickness have their problems exasperated by trying to read while in the car or on a plane, but not with 3D puzzles. No reading is necessary, simple dexterity and logic can help to work through any puzzle challenge, making it the perfect way for people who experience motion sickness to enjoy their travel days.
These kinds of puzzles are not only great for travel days, but for during the trip as well. They are great items to have in your hotel room to spend a few minutes on while resting. Great for sitting on the beach or by the pool, these kinds of puzzles offer entertaining and spatial reasoning practice wherever you bring them! With their challenging nature, the whole family can try their hand at solving too. Everyone in your party can collaborate or compete, bringing an exciting new challenge to any vacation.
What kinds of puzzles work the best?
Some 3D puzzles are better than others when it comes to traveling. You likely won’t want to bring along a puzzle with lots of independent pieces, like Lumberjack’s Challenge, since it may be more difficult to keep track of the pieces without a table or flat surface. Likewise, larger and awkwardly shaped puzzles like Double Lock-a-Ball would make packing luggage difficult. For these reasons, we have searched through our entire puzzle collection and come up with the three absolute best puzzles to bring with you while traveling. If none of these particular puzzles tickle your fancy, take note of the criteria we use and see if you can find another one that works for you!
SPINNING DRUM
One of the important factors that we took into consideration for these puzzles is their difficulty level. A puzzle that is too easy will not be able to provide the satisfaction and extended relief from travel that a more difficult one might. You don’t want to end up solving the puzzle in the first 15 minutes and having nothing to do for the rest of the journey. This is why all of the puzzles we picked for this list have earned our highest difficulty rating (Level 3). Spinning Drum is no different, this difficult barrel puzzle requires serious patience and attention in order to solve it.
To complete Spinning Drum, turn and spin the different parts of the drum around to get all the same-colored balls together; only once every vertical section matches with the same color is the puzzle finished. Traveling with Spinning Drum is made incredibly easy thanks to its convenient shape and portable design. The balls are not able to leave the barrel, meaning there is no worry of misplacing them along your travels. Thanks to its light weight and cylindrical shape, it can pack away easily into purses or backpacks to be ready whenever you need. And don’t worry, the balls inside are made from quality monkey-pod wood as well, so they won’t be rattling around making too much noise.
SERPENT CUBE
Another difficult puzzle that we think can occupy a good portion of your travel time is the Serpent Cube. The Serpent Cube is a classic puzzle that is composed of 27 small wooden cubes permanently connected by an elastic string running through them. The puzzle comes as a cube, but must be unraveled completely before you can begin trying to solve. Once unraveled, twist, turn, and rotate its pieces back together until it forms a perfect cube once again.
Like Spinning Drum, this puzzle is ideal for traveling thanks to all of its parts being contained within the puzzle itself. The elastic string keeps all the pieces together, preventing any from falling away or getting lost. It is also small and lightweight so carrying it around won’t be a chore either. However, compared to Spinning Drum, when deconstructed, the Serpent Cube can have a bit of an awkward shape (depending on how much progress has been made). It may take up a bit more space in your bag, but trust me it is worth it.
No loose pieces, compact size, intriguing looks, and a unique objective make this puzzle perfect for car and train rides since the awkward shape may be difficult to try fitting in a personal item or carry-on bag. Serpent Cube is a difficult and versatile puzzle that offers an ideal and educational way to spend time as the world passes by around you.
ON THE GREENS
One more puzzle that we think is perfect as a travel buddy is On the Greens. On the Greens is a golf-themed, sliding block Klotski puzzle (we also have classic, and soccer themed Klotski puzzles as well). The objective is to move/slide the pieces around on the 2D plane in order to navigate the green square with the tee on it down to the bottom of the puzzle, releasing the ball inside. This puzzle differs from the previous two in that it technically has removable pieces; so in theory, there are parts that can be lost if you are not careful. Thankfully it is very easy to keep all of the sliding blocks together because of the convenient top and case that ships with the puzzle. Allowing it to pack away into a compact little wooden box, which not only makes it easier to travel, but also saves your progress as well. Thanks to the nature of sliding piece puzzles, a series of sequential moves is required in order to win, so you can just place the lid on On the Greens and pick back up right where you left off hours later. Its considerable difficulty along with the sheer number of moves required to finish makes it a great puzzle to work away at over the course of your trip.
Each of these puzzles has been handpicked for their specific qualities that make them uniquely equipped to bring a fun challenge to any vacation. Try bringing them along on your next trip and see just how different the experience can be. These three puzzles in particular are quite difficult, so remember that if you ever need it, the solutions are always available online here if you leave the solution sheet at home. The next time you are looking to pass the time with road trip games, look no further!