It has been estimated that over half of all adults in the U.S. participate in solving jigsaw puzzles at least once a year. Around 1.8 billion jigsaw puzzles are sold in the U.S. annually.
The first jigsaw puzzles appeared in the 1760s in England. An English cartographer named John Spilsbury pasted maps to boards and sawed the small shapes with a jigsaw. From then on the puzzles were named because of the use of the saw. Cardboard puzzles initially were rejected but later became popular in the late 1800s.
Nowadays, puzzles range in the number of pieces from the low end of 500 to over several thousand. There are even puzzles with as many as 40,000 pieces. Experts say that it takes four times as long to complete a 1,000 piece puzzle as compared to a 500 piece one. The world record for the puzzle with the most pieces was once mentioned to be 551,232. One of the most expensive puzzles sold went for $27,000.
There are indeed health benefits noted by those who solve these fun puzzles. At the top of the list is that jigsaw puzzles help us to relax. This could tend to lower your blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate. Participating helps to keep your mind sharp and aids memory and problem solving skills. Studies show that dopamine — the "feel good" hormone — is produced by the brain while working jigsaw puzzles. This helps to decrease anxiety.
Kids benefit from the puzzles. They are able to focus and there is also a decrease exposure to screen time and television viewing. Jigsaw puzzles are intergenerational and can be enjoyed by all ages. Solving these puzzles exercises both sides of the brain and can even be considered as a meditation tool.
During COVID, jigsaw puzzles sales rose 38% in 2020 compared to the year before in 2019.
Many jigsaw puzzle lovers are most likely introverts and somewhat intuitive, therefore time to one's self with a puzzle may be important. But guess what? There are now several jigsaw puzzles with pickleball themes and pictures. The pals that I play with now exchanged puzzles as well as pleasantries.
If you are really competitive and interested in puzzle speed competitions check out the USAJPA/USA JigsawPuzzleAssociation or the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship.
