Jigsaw Puzzles : Did You Know ?

Jigsaw Puzzles ... do you enjoy doing them? They are certainly a popular past-time. Here in the UK many libraries and community groups hold 'jigsaw puzzle' sessions where you can pop in and place a few pieces. There are usually enough puzzles on the various tables to go around ...

Of course nowadays you can also do puzzles on your computer. I've not tried this but I think some blogland friends have. If you have do please share your thoughts about them in the comments section.

It was way back in 1760 that the first puzzle was developed by John Spilsbury to teach students geography. They became such a valuable resource, subjects expanded to include alphabets, botany, history, and zoology. Spilsbury was a cartographer and had the brilliant idea of placing a map on a piece of wood and cutting out sections of the map.

Before they were called 'jigsaw puzzles', they were named 'dissected maps', which does make sense because as the first puzzles were designed from cutting up sections of a map, they were aptly called 'dissected maps'. As they evolved over the years and cutting techniques changed, they were renamed 'jigsaw puzzles'.

Many years ago puzzles were previously enjoyed mainly by the wealthy. They were not always mass-produced like they are today, and raw materials were expensive.  When Spilsbury created the original puzzles, among the students that learned with this tool were the children of King George III and Queen Charlotte, who were taught by the royal governess, Lady Charlotte Finch.

Did you know their are many health benefits of puzzles. Puzzles are beneficial for your brain and brain health. Not only can they increase your mood, but they also improve your mental reasoning and spatial awareness, enhance your short-term memory and help you with problem-solving. They can even lower stress levels, provide your brain with a mental workout, and potentially increase your IQ score by up to 4 points.

If you enjoy travelling, and jigsaw puzzles, how about visiting The Puzzle Museum! Aptly named The Puzzle Mansion, this bed and breakfast/puzzle museum is located in the Philippines and has over 1500 preserved puzzles on display. It is recognised by the Guinness World Records as containing the largest collection of puzzles on the globe. They have puzzles of all shapes and sizes, genres, subject matters, sources, and more.

Are you quite quick at doing puzzles? Do you like a 500 piece one or perhaps a 1000? You might think a 1000 piece puzzle would only take twice as long as doing a 500 piece one ... well sorry you would be wrong! As a 1,000-piece puzzle will take you four times as long as a 500-piece puzzle.

Believe it or not, this is true. While one would think it would only take double the amount of time, every time the amount of pieces is doubled, the difficulty is quadrupled. The length of time it takes to complete a puzzle significantly increases the higher the piece count.

Apparently actors Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman, enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and also the late Queen Elizabeth II. I wonder if King Charles III enjoys them?
Words above from article here

Of course you may like to enjoy a drink and a biscuit when doing your puzzle ... be careful not to spill your drink of get too many crumbs over your puzzle though! Lower carb cookies/biscuits are nice, and you can see the recipes here

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Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style, and you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within it. Please note, not all recipes may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan