The Art of Putting A Puzzle Together: Try This Hobby!

As we are increasingly immersing ourselves in the internet and virtual hobbies, we often forget that we can have a lot of fun with classic activities in the real world as well. When was the last time you tried to complete a jigsaw puzzle?

Puzzles first came into existence in 1760 when mapmakers had the idea of ​​gluing them on wood and cutting them into small pieces, which became a great educational success. Their first major commercialization took place around 1930, during the great depression - at the time, unemployed engineers, architects and carpenters started to produce their own puzzles and sell them in their local neighborhoods.

It was in 1932, however, that the first paperboard versions, that we know today, began to be manufactured and that made it possible to reduce production costs and, consequently, its price to the final consumer.

Lately, however, except for puzzle enthusiasts who really cultivate the hobby and collect puzzles, the pursuit of the hobby has been somewhat slowed - until the pandemic and the requirement to be socially isolated for most of the last year.

Board games and puzzles are on the list of items whose internet searches have increased exponentially since the lockdown began. Not surprising! At home, people started to resume occupying themselves with this type of activity that stimulates not only the cognitive but also the engagement and interaction for the entire family.

In this article, we will talk a little about the benefits of jigsaw puzzles, give some tips that can assist your solving skills and, of course, talk about different puzzle themes for you to choose the one that attracts you the most!

Benefits of Solving a Puzzle

The first major benefit of this hobby is brain stimulation and the consequent development of cognitive skills. The exercise of putting together a puzzle increases the capacities of perception, reasoning, concentration and memory.

The search for pieces that fit together and the constant attention to details such as colors and shapes helps people to work with a certain accumulation of information, which directly affects the strength of memory - and that is why, even, this simple hobby can be enjoyed and beneficial for the elderly.

Puzzles also stimulate the development of motor coordination, due to the use of small pieces, which is ideal for children at different stages of their development. The exercise of trying to fit the pieces stimulates control of the movements of the hands, arms and even the eyes.

Puzzles are also great for family activities. In the area of social interaction, puzzles also act as a fun facilitating tool. When playing together, it is possible to practice collaboration, healthy competition and the ability to debate. Each of these are extremely important socio-emotional skills both in personal as well as professional life.

Tips for assembling puzzles

1. Find a suitable spot

 It is important to find a flat surface with enough space to spread the pieces and assemble the final image.

2. Keep the box close

Even if you organize all your pieces and you no longer need the puzzle box to store them, do not lose it! The box always displays the reference image for assembling the puzzle, and it is necessary to refer to it frequently throughout the process so as not to get lost.

 If you do not intend to disassemble your puzzle at the end of the assembly and believe that you will no longer need the box, our tip is to cut out its face that contains the reference image, so you will take up less space and can hold and check it more easily.

3. Sort your parts

The more pieces your puzzle has, the more important this step is. Grouping parts by shape and color can help you a lot in the process of looking for specific pieces throughout the assembly.

4. Start from the edges

The pieces at the edge of the puzzle are the easiest to identify, as they contain a straight side. When it comes to separating your pieces, again, these can be one of the first items to start with.

 After selecting all of the images that have straight sides, assemble the entire edge of your image to get a general idea of ​​the space it occupies and begin to understand where each part of the figure is located.

5. Focus on specific parts

After assembling the edges, choose parts of the image on which to focus your work. An interesting way to do this is to define a certain piece of the image and work on it, so as not to get lost and increase your motivation.

 If you fit a piece in each corner of the puzzle, when you look, you will not feel that the work is paying off. If you assemble the whole of the sky, for example, the progress becomes more visible, which makes you more willing to continue.

Read our blog to know how you can solve puzzle easily in detail.

How to Choose a Puzzle

The sky's the limit when choosing a puzzle, which means that, as long as you are aware of the size of the challenge you want to face and the style of image you like, just have fun checking out the options.

 Children's Puzzles

Children's puzzles usually come with an age indication, which is great to help you choose if you are looking for a puzzle to give as a gift.

 Another interesting tip when buying puzzles for children is to combine the activity with a learning theme or even with a favorite character.

In general, children's puzzles range from 15 to 300 pieces. The options for adults start in this range and grow to more ambitious numbers. Of course, there are options for professional assemblers and hobbyists, but, as a rule, for the general public, it is customary to find games of up to 6000 pieces.

Puzzles for Adults

If you are just starting off and you don't know if you will enjoy the activity very much, the ideal way is to start small.

The effort to assemble a puzzle of thousands of pieces is considerably greater, which can make the task boring for those who are doing it for the first time.

To get an idea of ​​the number of pieces you can face right now, think of the themes that attract you the most! An option that usually pleases almost everyone are landscapes. For those who are passionate about music, it may be a good idea to choose a puzzle that refers to this specific genre. For travel buffs, how about puzzles that depict famous sights?

We hope that you now understand how vast this world of puzzles is and how many different options we have at our disposal. If you feel ready to test this new hobby, you can shop your favorite puzzles from Jigsaw Jungle today!