When Was the Last Time That Your Family Put Together a Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle

 

Staying mentally engaged can be a challenge at any age. In a time of digital options filling nearly every minute of the day it should come as no surprise that there are many people, of all ages, who are looking for a way to get away from their screens and reconnect. One of the most affordable ways to spend time with friends and family and keep your mind sharp at the same time is to work on tough puzzles. Families who make a habit of setting out challenging 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles often find themselves lingering over the challenge early in the morning and lated in the evening.
Even before your children are ready for tough puzzles you can keep their minds active and away from screens by starting with easy puzzles and family games. Any task that keeps the brain engaged is a huge step ahead of the mind dulling time that too many of us spend looking at phones, laptops, and tablets.

Both Little and Big Jigsaw Puzzles Can Provide Engaging Challenges for Many Families

Finding a way to make sure that your family engages in productive activities is a challenge that many parents struggle with. If your family gets in the habit of regular game nights or spending time working on tough puzzles, however, you can not only limit their time away from screens, but also make sure that you are in close proximity to your children. It is often at these times when you can glean the most information about what has been going on at school, what has been happening with friends, and what there plans are for the weekend. Consider some of these other facts and figures about the benefits of staying engaged, especially by working on tough puzzles:

• The brain makes the most connections among its cells before a child turns the age of 10.
• The oldest known puzzle is a dissection of a square mentioned by Archimedes around 250 BC.
• Research indicates that movement gets the brain going. An active body makes for an active brain, so the decision to make learning a hands on affair often means that your efforts will be more productive.
• Dopamine, the neurotransmitter, is produced when doing puzzles.
• In addition to putting our brains into a meditative state, research indicates that puzzles activate brains while relaxing people psychologically.

Outside of the home, there are many offices that set up puzzles in public spaces to provide a brain break for people while they are at the office. These puzzles located on standing tables provide a perfect way for employees to take a walk from their desk and regenerate for the rest of the day.