How to Make Your Own Sliding Puzzle

As a kid, I loved sliding puzzles—moving tiles around to line up rows of numbers or reassemble a photo was an excellent brain-teaser. As these games became computerized, they seemed to lose a little of their magic; sure, you can click around to "slide" the pieces, but where's the fun in that?

In this vintage clip from Curiosity Show, we learn how to make your own physical sliding puzzle at home. (Incidentally, there are also plenty of sites devoted to digital ones online.) The only problem with this clip is that it relies on a Kodak slide box to contain the puzzle...and Kodak no longer makes slide film. Plus, even if they did, you probably don't have these boxes lying around. You'll want to figure out a decent substitute "shallow, square, box-like object" depending on what you've got around. In my house, a square tissue box (cut out so just the bottom bit remains) is a reasonable option, as are many boxes from electronics (the Apple Airport Extreme comes in a very sturdy square box).

Gather the kids around, figure out what you want to turn into a slide puzzle, and enjoy: