The Power Of Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles have been around since the 1700s. They have evolved from hand-cut wooden educational tools to a huge industry targeting children and adults alike. Being hardly new, they provided education and hours of peaceful time passed. Studies show that these “toys” have lasting benefits both to our health and basic well-being.


We were likely all exposed to jigsaw puzzles in our youth. They’re used in schools to educate, and are thought to develop fine motor skills in children and prepare them for reading. Research is now showing the quantifiable benefits of carrying this activity into adulthood. Studies have shown that keeping the mind active with jigsaw puzzles and other mind-flexing activities can actually lead to a longer life expectancy, a better quality of life, and reduce our chances of developing certain types of mental illness, including memory loss, dementia, and so on.

But how does this simple toy accomplish such amazing things? Most likely it is due to the simultaneous use of both sides of the brain. The left brain hemisphere, our analytic side, sees all of the separate pieces and attempts to sort them out logically. The right brain hemisphere, our creative side, sees the “big picture” and works intuitively. These connections increase our ability to learn, to comprehend, and to remember. In addition, completing a puzzle, or even just the successful placement one piece, encourages the production of dopa mine, a brain chemical that increases learning and memory.

The connections made while working on jigsaw puzzles aren't limited to our brain cells. It also allows the brain to move from a Beta state, the wakeful mind, into an “Alpha” state, the same mental state experienced while dreaming. The jigsaw puzzle is a metaphor for life. Challenges we face with our jobs, relationships, and health can leave us confused and overwhelmed. These challenges are easily likened to the fragmented jigsaw puzzle, with so many disconnected pieces and no clear starting point. We become “rewired” to take a more balanced, holistic view of our lives, considering all the little pieces, but also how they fit into the big picture. As the jigsaw puzzle takes shape, the different parts of our lives start coming together to form a sensible picture.

Jigsaw Puzzles benefits to the brain are becoming more and more clear. Perhaps even more powerful are the effects on the subconscious in helping us piece together this puzzle we call life. Want to make your own Jigsaw Puzzles? Go to SnapMade and design your custom Jigsaw Puzzles.