Sharpen Your Brain at Your Over Bed Tray Table

Are you looking for a fun way to spend a little free time? A steady ‘entertainment diet’ of reruns and reality TV gets stale after a few days. Put away that remote control and treat your brain to a puzzle instead! Here are a few fun items that you can keep on hand at your over bed tray table:

3D Maze Boxes

These fun gadgets have a 3D maze build inside a clear plastic box. Drop a marble or ball in the top and then tilt the box this way and that. Slowly but surely, you’ll work the marble in, out, around, and down to the exit chute.

One bonus: These puzzles are a big hit with the kids and grandkids.

Rubik’s Cube

This brain-teaser has been a classic for generations. Rubik’s Cubes are famously challenging. Need an easier version? Look for a simple 2x2x2 cube. Want a tough puzzle you can sink your mental teeth into? These cubes come as big as 7x7x7.

There are also different shapes available like pyramids and hexagons. Best of all, this is a compact puzzle that’s easy to tuck into your over bed table system when you’re not working on it.

Wooden Tetris Cubes

There are several companies that take this nostalgic retro game and supersize it. In a Tetris cube, the challenge is to use traditional Tetris shaped blocks to build a perfect cube. Some such games also have other challenging shapes or patterns to create. These puzzles can be quite tricky, making them a good choice for a family game where everyone can pitch in.

Sudoku

Good old Sudoku, the mathematical puzzle laid out on a 9 by 9 grid. If you’re a beginner, consider investing in a book of Sudoku puzzles sorted by difficulty. Oh, and don’t forget a 2B pencil with an eraser. You’ll be using that eraser a lot at first.

Not mathematically inclined? There’s a variation that uses colored balls instead of numbers.

Hanayama Brain Teasers

This style of brain-teaser is made out of interlocking metal shapes. You’ll need to pull, push, slide, and twist to disassemble the puzzle. Don’t forget the steps you took because the challenge isn’t complete until you reassemble everything again.

Hanayama puzzles come from level 1 to level 6, letting you work up in difficulty.

Puzzle Rings

Running out of space on your over bed tray table? Try a puzzle that you can wear on your finger! Puzzle rings involve three or more (sometimes many more) thin rings of twisted metal. Twist and press them in just the right way, and they’ll ‘lock’ together, creating a beautiful piece that resembles Celtic knotwork.