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The benefits of jigsaw puzzles have long been linked to keeping your brain active. They can be a real challenge that force you to use your reasoning, and keep your mind sharp. But are there more benefits of doing jigsaws that that?
10 Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles
There are more benefits of jigsaw puzzles than just keeping your mind active. Sure, that’s a really important benefit that can help build transferable skills, but keeping your brain active is a very vague claim.
Below are ten specific benefits of jigsaw puzzles and how they can help other areas of your life.
1. They’re entertaining for all ages
One of the biggest benefits of jigsaw puzzles is that there’s one out there for everyone. The Works stocks a range of discount jigsaws for kids, adults and different abilities. This makes them the perfect gift idea if you’re struggling. Can’t decide what to get your little nephew? Try a jigsaw! Having difficulty with your nan’s birthday present? Buy a jigsaw! Unsure what to get your wife? You guess it – a jigsaw will be perfect!
2. They can provide escapism
Life getting you down? Work grinding your gears? Whatever your troubles are, immersing yourself in a jigsaw can transport you away from your problems. Allowing yourself to get lost in concentration can distract you from everyday life and give your brain a break.
3. Benefits of jigsaw puzzles on memory
Believe it or not, jigsaw puzzles can improve your memory! It might seem like you’re constantly looking back at the box and losing your way, but these connections your brain makes while you’re looking for you next piece (or searching for one you’ve already seen) helps improve your memory skills. They train your brain on how to remember successfully, which makes it work more efficiently!
4. Jigsaws can aid concentration in kids
Anyone who spends a lot of time with kids knows their minds flit from one thing to the next. They never stay in one place and neither does their mind! This can mean they’re less willing to sit still at school and listen. I found jigsaws a great way to gradually encourage my children to build up their concentration span by doing jigsaws with them.
5. Jigsaws are affordable, reusable entertainment
Entertainment can be expensive these days, especially things like video games and Tv streaming services. Taking your entertainment offline and back to basics in the form of jigsaws can bring great value for money. Jigsaws themselves are affordable to begin with, but factor in the hours of entertainment they provide, plus the fact you can enjoy them again and again means they basically pay for themselves!
6. They can help encourage communication with kids
Children are notoriously enigmatic when it comes to discussing what they’ve been up to. There are ways of coaxing what they’ve done at school out of them, but I’ve found the best way to get children to open up is to chat to them while they complete a jigsaw. This works best for slightly older children who have the concentration to take on a bigger jigsaw, but it can be a beautiful way to bond or encourage them to talk about what’s troubling them.
7. Jigsaws can even be a social event!
Join a club, invite your friend over for wine or video call them while you’re beavering away. Hobbies connect people and even a seemingly solo activity like completing a jigsaw might see you making new friends.
8. Completing a jigsaw puzzle can alleviate anxiety
Some psychologists suggest that spending time focusing on something specific can help reduce your blood pressure and ease anxiety. The act of concentrating on completing the jigsaw puzzle occupies your mind and can have a calming effect.
9. A good way to reduce screen time
Screen time can be a big issue these days – for kids and adults alike. Lots of hobbies involve a screen of sorts, so getting away from screens and having fun with jigsaws is a great way to cut down.
10. Puzzles help kids with improve their reasoning skills
Children learn from doing, so by giving them jigsaws to complete, you’re helping to teach them to reason. They need to find pieces, match colours, rotate shapes and move things around. These are all skills that can be applied to reasoning in non jigsaw-related scenarios.
I’ve always loved puzzles! I find them so relaxing and feel really proud when I finish one. I love doing a puzzle with some music on too, singing and dancing whilst puzzling is fun 😀