All About Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw Puzzles have existed for over 200 years entertaining and thrilling families for generations. Yet what is it about the puzzle that enthralls the mind?

Besides the mental benefits of testing and strengthening the mind in putting together the differing pieces, the original purpose was educational. In the 1760's John Spilsbury created a wooden puzzle for teaching children geography. It was a success but it would not be for a little over a hundred years before technology let them be mass produced.

The jigsaw puzzle heyday came during the Great Depression when puzzles were cheap to produce and provided hours of entertainment. Advertisers promoted them with their products for free publicity and people could entertain themselves with minimal expense. Man became used to the jigsaw and as a hobby it has been able to endure today, becoming a perfect activity for bringing families together and giving something to do when the power goes out.

The simplicity of a jigsaw is unique in that anyone can pick a puzzle up and begin working without any difficulty. Sure color gradation and number of pieces may be a challenge, but the human mind is constantly putting pieces of information together and a puzzle is no different.

Strategies have been developed to simplify the completion of jigsaws. Some of the more common tips are to separate the corner and edge pieces from the middle pieces and then build the exterior of the puzzle. This way you have the framework and size of the puzzle adequately scoped out. Another common idea is to sort the inner pieces by colors or by theme. Leaves and trees look different from sky and ocean pieces. These two simple tips can make jigsaw puzzles so much simpler.

When a puzzle is complete, you could call it a work of art. The picture on the puzzle makes an excellent decoration and many people hang up the puzzles when they are finished. Of course first you need to buy puzzle glue and a puzzle frame (optional) so the puzzle does not fall apart.

From an early education tool to a depression era toy to a hobby of today, jigsaw puzzles provide plenty of entertainment and mental fun for all ages from child to grandparent.