Happy National Puzzle Day! These 10 puzzles will boost your brain and beautify your tabletop
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January 29 is National Puzzle Day—but that’s only one reason to make space on the dining room table to start piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Puzzling is a great way to pass the time when you’re stuck indoors during the cold winter months; it’s an activity you can engage in alone or with a group; it’s a known brain booster; and it’s the perfect excuse to break away from the ever-present screens that occupy our time and attention.
Here, we’ve, ahem, assembled, ten jigsaw puzzles guaranteed to suit a full range of interests and skill levels.
Springbok Sweet Tooth 500-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
If your New Year’s resolution involves cutting back on sugar, then perhaps you can channel your cravings into this sweet sampler of confections from all the most popular candy brands. An ideal option for folks with developing puzzle skills, this puzzle has pieces that are easy to sort—so while one builder can tackle the Butterfinger, another can take on the M&Ms. It’s also a fun choice for families since kids of all ages will find those delicious treats hard to resist.
Shop it: Springbok Sweet Tooth 500-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $17, amazon.com
Cloudberries Crystals 1,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Folks who consider puzzling to be akin to serenity will want to meditate on this 1,000-piece wonder. From the thoroughly modern puzzle makers at Cloudberries comes a bold design with 30+ mesmerizing crystals and gems. Since the subtle gradient in the background makes sorting the pieces easier than you might think, it’s an excellent choice for anyone just working up to advanced puzzles.
Shop it: Cloudberries Crystals 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $23, amazon.com
Ravensburger Disney Frozen 2 Castle - 216 Piece 3D Jigsaw Puzzle (see discount code)
Think all jigsaw puzzles are flat? Then clearly you haven’t fully immersed yourself in the world of modern puzzling. Puzzles in the shapes of standing structures, such as buildings and cityscapes, are becoming increasingly popular. This new design from Ravensburger brings the famous castle from the hit Frozen II movie to life in 216 pieces and with no glue required. It makes a beautiful display and is a great activity for any Disney Princess fan ages 12 and up.
Shop it: Ravensburger Disney Frozen II Castle - 216 Piece 3D Jigsaw Puzzle, $63 with code 10PUZZLES (was $70), amazon.com
Ceaco Citrus Gradient by Brittany Wright 750-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle - on sale!
Bursting with slices of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit, this puzzle is sweet and sour at its finest—meaning it’s pretty to look at and tough to complete. Once you’ve sorted the pieces into colors (that’s the simple part), you’ll have to work hard to put them together. This is a clever take on gradient puzzles that will certainly quench your thirst for a challenge.
Shop it: Ceaco Citrus Gradient by Brittany Wright 750-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $12 (was $14.50), amazon.com
White Mountain Puzzles U.S. Map 48-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Here’s a way to get your kids to learn their geography and get their puzzle practice, too. Accessible to children as young as five-years-old, this 48-piece jigsaw puzzle doesn’t just picture the 50 United States; it also shows state capitals and a little bit about what each state is known for—like Georgia peaches, California grapes, and Texas cowboys.
Shop it: White Mountain Puzzles U.S. Map 48-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $14, amazon.com
Mini Whale Solar System 46-Piece Floor Puzzle
If the U.S. map puzzle will help your kids learn about the United States, then this puzzle will have them mastering the universe. The 3’ x 2’ solar system floor puzzle has an image of the planets in orbit around the sun—plus a few rockets and other spacecraft for good measure. On the other side, there’s a much simpler graphic puzzles with colorful numbers in order from one to 46. A great choice for families with children of multiple ages, the solar system puzzle can be enjoyed by elementary school children, while preschoolers will dig practicing their counting with the numbers puzzle on the back.
Shop it: Mini Whale Solar System 46-Piece Floor Puzzle, $13, amazon.com
Buffalo Games Yard Sale by Aimee Stewart 2,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Think you’re up for a major project? How about a yard sale? Or better yet: a puzzle of one! This 2,000-piece wonder is replete with treasures somebody’s bound to want to snap up—from a pair of snowshoes to a boom box to a chair upholstered in zebra print. The puzzle comes with a bonus poster you can refer to as you put yours together. And if you like the image but aren’t quite up for so many pieces, the same graphic is available as a 1,000-piece puzzle.
Shop it: Buffalo Games Yard Sale by Aimee Stewart 2,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $16, amazon.com
Buffalo Games Follow Your Nose 300-Piece Large Puzzle
If you’re looking for a puzzle you can complete over the course of a weekend, 300 pieces is a good number. And if you’re looking for a puzzle that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, a dog theme will definitely get their tails wagging. Featuring the cutest close-ups of 16 beloved breeds, this grid puzzle will unleash hours of fun. And because its pieces are about 60 percent larger than traditional jigsaw puzzle pieces, it’s one that everyone can get their paws on.
Shop it: Buffalo Games Follow Your Nose 300-Piece Large Puzzle, $11, amazon.com
BetterCo. Modern Art 1,000-Piece Puzzle
Are you a glutton for punishment or simply a person who craves a challenge? Either way, you’re certain to get stumped—and to come down with a serious case of puzzle neck—as you pore over this number. Fortunately, the vibrant image of a modern art piece is so beautiful; you’re more likely to be enchanted than frustrated as you painstakingly put those pieces together.
Shop it: BetterCo. Modern Art Puzzle 1,000-Piece Puzzle, $25, amazon.com
Ravensburger 99 Beautiful Places on Earth 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Satisfy your wanderlust without ever leaving home with a grid puzzle picturing postcard-style images from 99 beautiful places around the world—from the Eiffel Tower to the Parthenon to Route 66, the Statue of Liberty and the Taj Mahal. You can also use this 1000-piece puzzle as a conversation starter among fellow puzzling pals: See how many featured locations you can all identify; compete to see who has visited the most among these destinations to date; and add some new spots to your travel bucket list.
Shop it: Ravensburger 99 Beautiful Places on Earth 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $16 with code 10PUZZLES (was $18), amazon.com
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