With its roots stretching back centuries, the jigsaw puzzle is a highly versatile form of entertainment with sizes ranging from two pieces to jumbo jigsaw puzzles. First making its appearance in the 1760s, when British map maker John Spilbury pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces to be reassembled, it remains consistently popular amongst children and adults alike. Highly adaptable, you can buy jigsaw puzzles in with images of almost any subject that might interest you (and a few that might not!).
Broadly, however, they do fall into several main categories and the kind you buy depends upon who the puzzle is for:
For very young children such as toddlers, the most popular kinds of jigsaw puzzles are the ‘peg’ variety, which are made with large, thick pieces attached to a wooden peg for ease of use. More recently, sound puzzles have also become popular. These make realistic noises when the pieces are fitted and can be useful for educational purposes. Finally, there are bigger floor puzzles which are often made of cardboard but can be comprised of large pieces of foam. These kinds of puzzles are particularly helpful for encouraging group participation and problem-solving amongst younger children.
If your child is aged between three to five you may want to consider buying them a tray puzzle. These are set inside a boundary to avoid the pieces falling out and have a mildly challenging picture to complete. Older children, aged five and upwards, can begin to progress to the more ‘standard’ variety of flat puzzles, moving up to perhaps 500+ pieces by the age of 12 and with increasingly complex images to complete.
Most adult jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts will be looking for a bigger challenge, so if you are stuck for something to get your parents this Christmas you should probably go for one of the huge variety of jumbo jigsaw puzzles out there which come in 1000+ pieces. Of course, if the person you are buying for is a serious puzzler, you can get even larger sizes. As it stands, the world record for the largest jigsaw puzzle to date is a whopping 24,000 pieces.
Of increasing popularity are 3D jigsaw puzzles. Depending on size or difficulty levels, these can be for either children or adults. They can come in many shapes and sizes, including representations of famous buildings, globes, spaceships, dinosaurs, food items or cars. These can make good presents as they offer the same challenges as more ‘standard’ jigsaws but are a slightly more unusual option.
Jigsaw puzzles have been around for centuries and come in all shapes and sizes. If you are considering buying one as a present, you need to decide which will be most appropriate for the age of the recipient. The puzzle needs to be suitably challenging but not frustratingly difficult
Broadly, however, they do fall into several main categories and the kind you buy depends upon who the puzzle is for:
For very young children such as toddlers, the most popular kinds of jigsaw puzzles are the ‘peg’ variety, which are made with large, thick pieces attached to a wooden peg for ease of use. More recently, sound puzzles have also become popular. These make realistic noises when the pieces are fitted and can be useful for educational purposes. Finally, there are bigger floor puzzles which are often made of cardboard but can be comprised of large pieces of foam. These kinds of puzzles are particularly helpful for encouraging group participation and problem-solving amongst younger children.
If your child is aged between three to five you may want to consider buying them a tray puzzle. These are set inside a boundary to avoid the pieces falling out and have a mildly challenging picture to complete. Older children, aged five and upwards, can begin to progress to the more ‘standard’ variety of flat puzzles, moving up to perhaps 500+ pieces by the age of 12 and with increasingly complex images to complete.
Most adult jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts will be looking for a bigger challenge, so if you are stuck for something to get your parents this Christmas you should probably go for one of the huge variety of jumbo jigsaw puzzles out there which come in 1000+ pieces. Of course, if the person you are buying for is a serious puzzler, you can get even larger sizes. As it stands, the world record for the largest jigsaw puzzle to date is a whopping 24,000 pieces.
Of increasing popularity are 3D jigsaw puzzles. Depending on size or difficulty levels, these can be for either children or adults. They can come in many shapes and sizes, including representations of famous buildings, globes, spaceships, dinosaurs, food items or cars. These can make good presents as they offer the same challenges as more ‘standard’ jigsaws but are a slightly more unusual option.
Jigsaw puzzles have been around for centuries and come in all shapes and sizes. If you are considering buying one as a present, you need to decide which will be most appropriate for the age of the recipient. The puzzle needs to be suitably challenging but not frustratingly difficult
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