Back Spin is a hand-held visual puzzle in which colored balls sit in slots on two parallel discs that twist in opposite directions. Each disc has six different colored slots with space for three balls, and the objective is to spin the discs to move the balls back into their matching colored slots. Since the puzzle comes solved, the first step is to scramble the colored balls by spinning the disc and moving the balls into mix-matched slots. The process of moving balls is tedious, because only one ball can be moved at a time and it requires several movements, including spinning and flipping the disc. Through the process of scrambling the board, students might become tired even before the game begins, especially those with weaker attention. Likewise when play begins, to put the colored balls back into place requires the same step-by-step movement for each ball. The combination of physical, visual, and spatial attention might feel tedious for most students. However, it could offer an interesting new challenge for students who always enjoy hands-on visual puzzles.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Adults would enjoy playing with a child
• For electronic games, gives positive or encouraging feedback
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Does not require excessive set-up time after first time use
• Can be fun as a single player game
• Multi-player game which fosters collaboration or cooperation
• Well-made for the cost
• For electronic games, can play without sound
• For electronic games, allows user to save work
• For electronic games, voice/sounds are appealing and pronounces words properly
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Abstract Reasoning
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Attention
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Fine Motor Skills
• Requires challenging finger movements, motor precision or physical manipulation
• Organization
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Spatial Perception
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Visual Discrimination
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Working Memory
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps

Back Spin is a double-sided brainteaser that is truly revolutionary. This Oppenheim Award winning puzzle is shaped like a flying saucer with two halves that you twist to pass marbles from one side to the other. Your job is to scramble the colored marbles, then figure out how to get them back into their matching slots - on both sides. Back Spin might look simple at first, but this cleverly addictive puzzle could leave your head spinning!.