Mind Puzzles for Kids Ages 4-8: 3D Gravity Maze Game Brain Teaser Fidget Toy Puzzle Ball - Marbles Maze Labyrinth Board Game for Teens - Educational Montessori Sensory Toys for Kids 3 4 5 6 7 8+

Lots of stuff going on with this toy, colors, gears, wheels. A delight to the eye for younger kids, and it works very smoothly! Too bad these sort of things are being superseded by electronics, this is really a way to lay down a solid format of hand-eye coordination.

The package says for ages 3 and up. But this has to be strictly for choking hazard reasons. There is no way a 3 year old could bend and move the ball to the different areas and complete the maze. My 12 year old loves it. And so do my other teens. But I would imagine an elementary aged kid would love it even more. It can be bit of a challenge, there are a couple places it’s hard to get past. But it’s not impossible to beat or even take to long. My two year old does love shaking it around and moving the pieces.You are supposed to hold the maze and get the ball to the number 1 slot. This in itself can be a bit of work. The tilt the board while turning the knob, that turns the inside knobs at different speeds. There are holes throughout that if the ball hits them, it goes into the bottom of the board and you have to move it to the edge and start over. There is one area of the maze that confuses me. It does not move with the knob or just tilting, you pretty much have to bang the sides with you hands to get it to move so the ball can get through. There’s at least 3 places it has to move through this area by banging to turn that stuck piece. And I can only imagine it’s stuck and not that you are supposed to have to bang it. It’s not in the directions at all on how to get past that point. I take off a start for this. I’d take off more than one but my kids do play with it and enjoy it and it isn’t impossible to get around. I hope they meant for it to move just by tilting and will fix this flaw or manufacturing error in the future.

This is great to develop better hand-eye coordination. I had fun getting the ball to the end of the maze. My 7-year-old is also very much enjoying it and he likes a challenging game. He's played stuff like this before so I figured he would like this when I picked it up and I was right! I recommend it for the interesting aspect of the gears used in the game.

I'll start with the obvious: this is not a Montessori toy. We have been a Montessori family since my daughter was born and she has been in a Montessori classroom for close to 6 years. Traditionally, Montessori materials (there are no TOYS) are made from natural and sensory-rich materials like wood, metal, fabric, and glass. The Montessori philosophy emphasizes the importance of connecting children with the natural world and real-life experiences. False advertising!Age appropriateness? Can your 3 year old navigate a metal bead from 1-24? Much less have an understanding of gears and how they turn? Because really does "a large gear that controls 15 small gears and a scissor gate" sound like a toddler toy to you? And would a12 year old want this dollar store toy over video games?I handed this to my surgeon brother who is trained in robotics and laparoscopic surgery he was frustrated. How really does this "reduce stress" and "improve memory?" What it does is give you a headache trying to see tiny numbers. Nothing amusing about this maze.

I think saying this toy is appropriate for the ages 3 and 4 is a little ambitious for this game. The numbers are small and faint, making them hard to read for some. It also requires a lot of dexterity to use gravity and rotate the gears just right. This was handed to a 4 year old and less than 3 minutes later it was handed back to us because it was too hard for her to keep her interest. That being said, it looks just like it's pictured on the product page and arrived in good condition.

At almost 60, I could not resist playing with this puzzle. Great for all ages! Keeps the mind thinking and problem solving. Colorful and eye-catching. Great idea when traveling, because it is not too big or bulky.

A really fun 3D puzzle, enjoyed by multiple generations of our family. Colorful and well made, it gives hours of diversion. Great for occupying kids in the car!

This is a really challenging puzzle game for kids and adults alike. It's really appropriate for a wide range of ages. It requires a bit of dexterity so it's not great for very young children. My five year old does like to play with it even though he certainly hasn't mastered it. It's challenging enough that I like to play it as well. It's a very clever and enjoyable game so I struggle to give it less than five stars. However, it is very cheap looking and I'm not sure how long it will survive a household full of boisterous kids, being made entirely of plastic. Great concept, cheap material.