Although puzzles were originally constructed for children, adults also loved doing them, and the first puzzles for adults were made around 1900. By 1908, a full-blown puzzle craze had seized America.

Those early puzzles didn’t have the interlocking pieces of today; every piece had straight edges, so all the pieces were similar. They moved out of place easily if the table was bumped, and to make matters worse, puzzles for adults had no picture on the box to use as a guide. People didn’t know what the picture was until they were close to finishing the puzzle (sometimes in the wee hours of the morning — “just one more piece!”). That kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn’t it?

Puzzling Prices

Because puzzles were made from wood, each piece had to be hand cut, one at a time, making the price of puzzles very expensive. A 500-piece puzzle cost about $5, which may not seem like a lot of money today, but in those days people earned only about $50 a month. That’s a little more than $10 a week. This didn’t stop the rich from buying puzzles, of course. In fact, puzzles were a major form of amusement at their elegant parties.

Puzzling Changes

Parker Brothers, a popular game manufacturer, wanted to improve the puzzle. They introduced fun-shaped pieces, like dogs and birds, for their puzzles. And soon, Parker Brothers and other manufacturers, not wanting to be outdone, introduced the classic puzzle shapes and interlocking pieces we still have today.

In the early 1900s, cardboard puzzles were introduced. They were a lot less expensive both to manufacture and to buy, but many people preferred the wooden puzzles to the cardboard ones. The wooden pieces were nicer, sturdier, and didn’t bend as the cardboard ones did. Puzzle

makers were happy the wooden puzzles were selling, because they made a lot more money on hand-cut puzzles.

That all changed during the Great Depression (1929–1939), a time when many people lost their jobs, and money was scarce. With so many people out of work, and so much extra time on their hands, they found comfort and relaxation in puzzles. Puzzle popularity was at an all-time high. Sales reached a whopping ten million per week. Because money was so tight, people couldn’t go to restaurants or shows as they had done in the past, and puzzles became their number one form of entertainment.

To make puzzles affordable and accessible to everyone, libraries and drugstores rented them for between three to ten cents a day, depending on the size. And cardboard puzzles, at their enticingly low price of 25 cents, were suddenly extremely popular, flying off the shelves almost as fast as they were stocked.

The Jig is Up

The jigsaw puzzle got its name from the power tool called a jigsaw, although puzzles weren’t actually cut with a jigsaw, but with a fretsaw. These tools aren’t used to make puzzles anymore, though. Today’s puzzles are cut with a press, which is kind of like a cookie cutter, but with around 700 tons of force.

Aside from how they’re made, not much about puzzles has changed. Puzzles are still fun to do and as popular as ever. Today, nearly everyone from toddlers (those pieces have pegs for little hands) to adults has felt the satisfaction of completing a puzzle.

All Shapes and Sizes

With all of today’s modern technology, puzzles are still a great family activity. Jigsaw puzzles come in all sizes and shapes… square, rectangle, circle, oval, 3D, and computerized (all the fun — no mess or lost pieces!)

For the real puzzle lover, the Stave Company manufactures the world’s most expensive, handmade wood puzzles. They start at about $5,000, and one even sold for over $12,000. If that price is a bit steep, don’t worry, the average price of a 1,000-piece cardboard puzzle is between $10-$20. The price increases with the size.

Bigger and Better

Taking about size… What’s the biggest jigsaw puzzle you’ve ever done? 500? 1,000? 5,000 pieces? Believe it or not, the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzle has 551,232 pieces. It measured 48 ft. x 76 ft., and took 1,600 students from the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) 17 hours to complete on September 24, 2011. If you attempted to do a puzzle that size on your own, you would have to work on the puzzle every day for eight hours, and even then it would take about nine years to finish. Oh, and you’d also have to rent out a wedding hall or some other huge room to assemble it.

Beyond Fun

Puzzles are more than a way to test our ingenuity. They test our concentration, patience, commitment, and endurance. Some researchers even believe that doing puzzles can prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

They’re also great for developing smaller children’s fine and gross motor skills.

When you put together a jigsaw puzzle, your entire brain is working. The left side of your brain (the analytical, logical side) works together with the right side (the creative, imaginative side).

So puzzles give your entire brain a workout. Completing a puzzle also encourages the brain to produce a chemical called dopamine, which helps improve memory. And you thought you were simply putting colorful pieces together, and having a good time.

Famous Puzzles

1. Remember the 15-puzzle, or maybe you know it as the sliding puzzle? It’s 15 plastic or metal tiles, numbered 1—15, in a square frame. The aim is to slide the tiles around until all the numbers are in order. Such a simple idea, but one that could keep you occupied for hours. I’m sure you’ve gotten one in a pekeleh or as a party favor. Guess what? It’s been around since the 1800s.
2. Who doesn’t love the Rubik’s Cube? It’s a 3D combination puzzle. The goal is to twist and turn the cube until each side has its own distinct color. Although it’s popular today, it’s been around since 1970.
3. What about dot-to-dot, also known as connect the dots or spot the difference or hidden pictures? All kids love them! (Here’s a secret, so do adults.) These are also a form of puzzle; they’re picture puzzles. You can do “easy-shmeasy” ones or crank it up and do the very intricate ones that could take you hours, and require a magnifying glass.
4. For over 60 years Scrabble was thought to be an educational puzzle. But in 2009, the Supreme Court determined it is just a game. Sorry, Scrabble!

Many great Chinese puzzles are very popular here in the US. Have you ever tried to disentangle two metal rings or some oddly shaped hard, metal wires? If so, you’ve tried your hand at a Chinese puzzle. The classic Chinese Nine Ring Link Puzzle is a very well-known challenge.

Puzzles fall into various categories. Jigsaw puzzles are a type of tilting puzzle. A maze is a kind of tour puzzle. Rubik’s Cube falls into the category of combination puzzles. There are many more categories in this puzzling type of fun… transport puzzles, mechanical puzzles, disentanglement puzzles, folding puzzles, disassembling puzzles, assembling puzzles, lock puzzles, stacking puzzles, stick puzzles, word puzzles, mathematical puzzles, interlocking puzzles… and more!

If you’re not a puzzle lover, I challenge you to become one — but know that puzzles are extremely addicting! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Tips for better puzzling

1. Choose a puzzle that suits you. You may want to tackle a huge 5,000-piece puzzle, but your brain may feel more comfortable starting with a 500-piece one. Start smaller and build your skill. It will make your puzzle more enjoyable, and more importantly, you won’t give up mid-puzzle from frustration. Practice and familiarity with jigsaws will develop your skill.
2. Choose a place to assemble your puzzle. Try the dining room table. Simply cover your puzzle with a plastic and a tablecloth when the table is needed. (Of course, ask your mother first.)
3. Study the picture on the box so you’re familiar with it.
4. Before beginning, flip all the pieces onto the picture side. It’s tedious, but makes the next steps much easier.
5. The fastest way to do a jigsaw puzzle is to sort all the different colors into groups before you begin. Don’t worry if you miss a few, they’ll turn up soon enough.
6. Find the flat end pieces while sorting, and set them aside. Assemble the border first. Then look for a recognizable part of the puzzle and work from there.
7. Pay attention to lines and patterns on the pieces. They will most probably go together.
8. Instead of jumping from one end of the puzzle to another, it may be helpful to work on small sections, one at a time.Real “puzzle champs” stand while putting together puzzles. No one’s sure why, but it seems to work.

Real “puzzle champs” stand while putting together puzzles. No one’s sure why, but it seems to work.

Puzzle Accessories

For avid puzzlers, there are many accessories to make your puzzling experience more enjoyable. From puzzle glue, to cases, carriers, puzzle mats, and puzzle boards, there’s something for all to enhance their puzzle fun.

Puzzle Safe

It’s actually nesting boxes you can store your color-sorted puzzle pieces in. Each box fits into the one below it (kind of like a Russian Matryoshka doll) for an organized, safe way to tidy your puzzle, or a way to simply keep your pieces sorted, picture side up, and within easy reach while working.

Puzzle Board

Not everyone has a table they can devote to a puzzle. The puzzle board allows you to move your puzzle from place to place. The fabric covering keeps pieces attached to the board so you can rest assured you haven’t lost any.

Puzzle Case

The puzzle case has the best of both worlds. You can sort, store, transport, and use it just about anywhere.

Puzzle Glue

Once you have completed your masterpiece, use specially designed puzzle glue to keep it together permanently. The glue is applied to the picture side of the puzzle. It dries perfectly clear and protects your puzzle.

Fun Fact

The expression, “I’m puzzled,” refers to someone pondering a way to figure out a problem.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 642)