"Chinese Puzzles: Games for the Hands and Mind"

Museums & Sights

Kids can tackle some real head-scratchers at the Museum of Chinese in America.

"Chinese Puzzles: Games for the Hands and Mind"

Brass 15-piece puzzle (late 19th century)

Ivory and tortoiseshell puzzles in lacquer box (ca. 1840)

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Photograph: © Niana Liu 2010; Photo by Niana Liu

Peter Rasmussen and his wife, Wei Zhang, began collecting Chinese puzzles in 1997; today they've amassed more than 1,200 of them. Through September 5 at the Museum of Chinese in America, children can see more than 100 highlights from their vintage stash and interact with around a dozen contemporary examples. The exhibit appeals to innate "human curiosity," Rasmussen says. "If people see a puzzle on a table, they want to try to solve it. And there's a sense of achievement when they do."

The handcrafted antique puzzles—made of porcelain, carved ivory and mother-of-pearl—will be kept under glass. Beginning March 24, several new delicate examples will be on view in the exhibit, including puzzle rings and bracelets adorned with Chinese symbols. On the floor, little ones can play with three sets of foam and wooden tangrams: seven-piece puzzles composed of triangles, squares and parallelograms that form a variety of shapes. Another area houses more complicated mind-benders, including sliding block puzzles, which are intended to replicate military strategy, and burr puzzles, which feature interlocking parts. Looking for a real stumper? Guide your brood to the "nine linked rings" puzzle: It requires at least 341 moves to complete.—Michelle Hainer

is on view at the Museum of Chinese in America through Sept 5.