4D City Skyline Puzzle Makes A Toy Of Out Of Time

Puzzles are great - and they're even better when they include the mystical 4th dimension. That's right, this puzzle of the New York skyline includes Time, and not just the time it's going to take to put it together.

We found this one over at Hammacher Schlemmer and while we were skeptical at first, we have to admit that the New York 4D Skyline puzzle is pretty awesome. It's part of a set of famous skyline puzzles that are being produced for cities like New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.

So what's the deal here? What sets this puzzle apart and why does it get the 4D moniker?

It starts with a standard 2D puzzle that kids have to put togehter in order to get the "base layer" for the center of their city; typically the downtown core and the Strip in the case of Las Vegas. Next, a raised ground layer is placed over the 2D base which has indents for 3D buildings to be slotted in. In the case of New York, there are over 100 buildings that can be placed by kids as they learn what makes up the iconic look of the city.

But wait!

That's not all!

In addition to simply being buildings, the buildings in the 4D Skyline puzzle span time as well as the dimensions of space. Older buildings such as the Statue of Liberty are depicted as they were when they were constructed, giving kids an idea of how the city developed over the years. Of course, no puzzle venturing into the 4th dimension would be complete without a foray into the future and the Skyline puzzle delivers with a glimpse of what New York will look like in coming years as the Freedom Tower is completed.


And if that weren't enough, the puzzle also comes with LED street lights to turn on at night so that kids can get an idea of just what the city looks like under cover of darkness. The toy was recently named "gift of the year" and can be found over at Hammacher Schlemmer or at Amazon for under $40.

Source: Hammacher Schlemmer 
