Jigsaw puzzles are great gifts with added benefits

Jigsaw puzzles are great gifts with added benefits
When it comes to buying your friends and family something special, it’s easy to run out of ideas, particularly if you’ve been buying them presents for years. At some point, you’re going to think they have everything, what more could they possibly need? And that’s where we come in. 
Many consider puzzles a toy for kids, but more and more research is supporting the idea that jigsaw puzzles can help keep the mind sharp, well into one’s adult life. Besides keeping one occupied for hours on end, and at other times causing frustration as you try to patch together pieces of sky, jigsaw puzzles have a number of benefits. 
Jigsaw puzzles especially are able to support in the improving of our short-term memory. When you’re trying to decide where a specific puzzle piece goes, you’re comparing the images in front of you to memories of the entire picture as well as sections you’ve already completed, trying to determine if it matches up with any of those. 
They’re also good for developing ingenuity. While everyone knows that you start with the edges and work inwards, each puzzle is different and requires a new approach. Trying to figure out strategies to complete your puzzle is good practice in problem solving. Identifying specific objects to complete, that will assist in completing the overall puzzle, helps develop that. 
Jigsaw puzzles also help one relax, putting the mind in a meditative state. We’re sure everyone has experienced those times when you completely zone out from everything, focusing just on the puzzle piece in front of you, trying to figure out where it goes. Many of us live extremely busy lives, and the opportunity to forget about the stresses of life and focus on one thing is not something we get to do very often. 
Along with relaxing, the solving of puzzles also assists in dopamine production. Each small success that is made as the puzzle progresses adds to this experience. Dopamine release helps with concentration and confidence, and even assists in reinforcing learning. 
As such jigsaw puzzles can make great gifts for people of all ages. You’ve probably considered puzzles and games, maybe even jigsaw puzzles themselves – beautiful pictures of Paris or Big Ben; but who wants to receive a puzzle of a random drawing, or a photo of a place they’ll never travel to? Instead of buying a jigsaw from your nearest department store, have you ever thought about going one step above and beyond and personalising those jigsaw puzzles and getting their favourite photos on them, a special message just for them, or just an image that you know will mean a lot? It’s a great way to surprise someone as well — imagine giving your partner a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas, and when they put it together it says “Will you marry me?” Imagine the look of surprise on their face, not to mention, it is something they can treasure forever! 
These days you can have your own puzzles made with any design you choose. Most popular are photos of family, whether it be portraits or pictures from a special event, and it is a fantastic way to capture a moment forever. There are some great options for design as well, including things like Timber Aztec puzzles that are crafted in timber with a matching box or tray, photo prints on craft wood or timber in a range of sizes up to 50cm, or you could go for a shape – such as a circle or a love heart. Want something simple? Get someone’s name cut in; or consider a memory stimulation puzzle for someone who is suffering from stroke or dementia (use an image of when the receiver was younger and it may help to trigger their memory as they piece together the puzzle). 
The biggest benefit is that this is the gift that keeps on giving. They can be enjoyed by everyone. They show the person receiving them that a bit of thought and effort went into the gift, and jigsaw puzzles can even be framed and hung on the wall, no longer relegated to temporary life on the kitchen table. We’re not saying a custom jigsaw puzzle is the perfect gift, but we are saying you’re going to battle to find a better one. 

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