The first jigsaw is thought to have been a Dissected Map of “Europe divided into its kingdoms” designed by John Spilsbury in 1776. They were seen as educational tools rather than leisure activities. I have vivid memories of doing jigsaws at St Austin’s primary school: absorbed, tongue out, transported, concentrating. I liked the feeling of creating one big picture with the oddly-shaped fragments. It was an activity that satisfied the Completer-Finisher in me…. Some things never change.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand the values of jigsaw puzzling. Apart from relaxation, concentration and learning to solve problems, researchers have revealed that Puzzlers can improve short-term memory, stave off dementia and train the pathways between the logical signals of the left brain and the creative intuition of the right brain. You develop resilience, tenacity and the ability to see through a task one bit at a time. One piece after another. Building a picture. Controlling the chaos. Perfect for lockdown.
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