Today in the US is National Puzzle Day. (Apparently, we celebrate it in the UK on 28th December—who knew?) Anyway, these days, there are so many puzzles to choose from: the crossword, the Rubik’s cube, sudoku, peg solitaire, card solitaire, the jigsaw or Wordle are just a few. Whatever your choice of puzzle, science has proven it is a great way to stimulate the brain and reduce stress.
My favourite type of puzzle is the humble jigsaw, and guess what? It was invented in the Georgian era, so I must babble about it.
More details
John Spilsbury‘s “Europe divided into its kingdoms, etc.” (1766).
A Short History of the Jigsaw Puzzle
- Jigsaw puzzles as we know them are fairly modern, but labyrinth drawing puzzles were popular in Ancient Egypt.
- The first jigsaw puzzles were used for education. In the 1760s, a British cartographer, John Spilsbury, fastened a map of Europe to a wooden board and cut out each country. He then used this to teach children geography. His puzzles became so popular he turned them into a commercial venture and created maps of different countries and continents.
- The original name for a jigsaw was “dissected map” or “dissected puzzle”. The Industrial Revolution saw the invention of the jigsaw cutting machine. Jigsaw makers used the new machine to cut more intricate pieces and puzzles adopted the name. Puzzles could now be manufactured quickly and on a wider scale.
- Unsurprisingly, the popularity of jigsaws soared during the Great Depression and, more recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In the 1950s, techniques for making jigsaws with cardboard improved, and today they are cut using lasers. You can buy jigsaws with 300 pieces, and even 60,000 pieces, made from wood, cardboard, Styrofoam or plastic. They can be square, round, oval, 3D or 4D. You can even have them custom-made using a photo.
The Health Benefits
- Relax – doing jigsaws aids relaxation, and reduces blood pressure, heart rate, stress, and anxiety.
- Improve fine motor skills – manipulating the small pieces aids co-ordination.
- Brain stimulation – completing a puzzle requires problem-solving, memory and visual perception skills. Scientists have argued that jigsaw puzzles can help combat cognitive decline.
- Feel-good factor – whenever we achieve success, our brain produces dopamine. So, completing a puzzle it makes us feel accomplished and fulfilled.
- Group activity – jigsaws are not a solo activity. Get your family or friends involved and spend some quality time together.
When I’m struggling to read (which happens a lot lately), I usually turn to a jigsaw puzzle to help me relax. I always do a festive puzzle in December and if you follow me on social media, you’ll know that 2023’s puzzle was challenging.
My next puzzle attempt will be this old map of Yorkshire. What a brilliant combination of my interests! Do you enjoy puzzles, and which is your favourite?
