Ravensburger 3d Unicorn Puzzles review

For the past few months, Juliette has been going through a unicorn phase. She's obviously not alone because everywhere we look in teen fashion shops these days, there are T-shirts, pyjamas and jumpers with unicorn designs on them. Needless to say, she wants to buy them all !

When Ravensburger got in touch with news of their unicorn-themed 3d puzzle collection, I knew Juliette would absolutely love it, partly because of the designs, partly because she enjoys making 3d puzzles and partly because the finished items are all useful things that tween and teenaged girls will love to have and use in their bedrooms.

We've already made lots of Ravensburger's 3d puzzles, mainly from the buildings range - you may have seen our reviews for The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Medieval House and Eiffel Tower By Night- so Juliette wasn't at all fazed by the idea of constructing a puzzle in 3d. If you've never tried one yet, don't worry - they're very simple to put together because they are numbered on the back to help you know which piece goes where. 

The first job is laying all the pieces out on the table in groups of ten (10s, 20s, 30s etc) then working through them in order. The puzzle pieces are made of plastic so they slot together easily and stay in place fairly well, even when using the hinged corner pieces. There are also plastic inserts to help make the finished designs extra sturdy.

The kits have detailed, visual, step-by-step instructions to help you put it all together - I didn't think they were entirely necessary, but if your child wants to be totally independent and have no adult input at all, they might come in handy.

 If this is your first time making a 3d puzzle, you might want to start with the Vanity Box (£14.99) because it is a simple rectangular shape with no curves to worry about. It is made up of 216 pieces and the finished box measures 23 x 15 x 13cm, which is a good size for storing hair accessories, make up, perfume and all the other "essential" bits and bobs that are usually cluttering up the bedside table. It even has a tray which Juliette thought was extra cool for stashing all her earrings, nail varnish and smaller items. Younger children who haven't branched out into hair and beauty yet could use it for storing small toys, collectibles and treasures too.

The 108-piece Jewellery Tree (£9.99) is another great way of helping your daughter to keep her bedside table and bedroom tidy. Whenever I go into Juliette's room, there are invariably hairbands, bracelets, necklaces and loom bands, amongst other things, scattered across the floor and her desk, so this is a great way of keeping them all in one place and out of the hoover ! 

It is double sided, offering two different beautifully atmospheric unicorn pictures, so you can turn it around to the other side when you want to give your desk/bedside table a quick makeover.

Equally pretty is the Vase (£14.99), which is made up of 216 pieces and stands 24cm tall. It can be used with artificial or real flowers - I had visions of water seeping through the gaps between the pieces but it comes with a plastic insert so you don't need to worry !

As well as the Unicorn collection, there is also a Funky Owl range. Each range consists of a 3D Puzzle Vanity Box, Pencil/Make Up Brush Holder, Jewellery Tree and Vase and are aimed at girls aged 8+. I love the idea of a fun project with an end result that is as funky as it is functional. If you have a tween daughter who is into unicorns, you know what to buy for her for Christmas now !

star rating : 5/5

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.