APRIL 14, 2020 

PUZZLING PASTIME 

And here we are, these cardboard conundrums are back!
I LOVE puzzles – anything from 1000 – 5000 pieces! Yes, when I need to get a quick fix, I settle on a 1000- piece puzzle, and in the middle of winter when we need a longer time to work through it all, I will settle for those larger puzzles.

The origins of jigsaw puzzles go back to the 1760s when European mapmakers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker, is credited with inventing the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The dissected map has been a successful educational toy ever since.

A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often oddly shaped interlocking and mosaic pieces. Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture. Despite it being called a jigsaw, a jigsaw was never actually used to cut it.

What I really like about the puzzles today is that we have moved on from those “chocolate box” pictures and include a lot of contemporary and modern patterns.

I’m currently working on one that is full of seashells and there’s another waiting for me that is all fractals.

 I just love that puzzles improve memory skill, eye-hand coordination and spatial arrangements, can delay dementia, lowers stress and increases productivity. Better still, it’s not a ‘one person’ game, anyone can join in and build the picture!

Why not drop us a line and let us know what you like (or dislike) about puzzles and what you are working on during this ‘stay-at-home’ phase of our lives? We would love to hear from you.