Puzzled Over What to Do?

Whether you are staying-in-place on your own, or with the family, a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to spend the time. Thinking about puzzles made me wonder who invented them and how long they have been around.

Here is what I found on PuzzleWarehouse.com:

The origins of jigsaw puzzles go back to the 1760s when European mapmakers pasted maps onto wood and cut them into small pieces. John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker, is credited with inventing the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The dissected map has been a successful educational toy ever since. American children still learn geography by playing with puzzle maps of the United States or the world. The eighteenth century inventors of jigsaw puzzles would be amazed to see the transformations of the last 250 years. Children’s puzzles have moved from lessons to entertainment, showing diverse subjects like animals, nursery rhymes, and modern tales of super heroes. But the biggest surprise for the early puzzle makers would be how adults have embraced puzzling over the last century.

Puzzles also have many benefits for your brain and mental health.

You can support a local business in Decatur and buy your puzzles from Sq/Ft, or HomeGrown in downtown Decatur. They both offer delivery, and Sq/Ft also offers pick-up.

Or maybe you want to try making your own? If you do, post a  photo of it on our Facebook page.