I am hard-pressed to think of many hobbies that can be truly enjoyed by both toddlers and older adults alike, but jigsaw puzzling always comes to mind. It’s hard for me to remember any time in my life where puzzles weren’t involved. In fact, working on a puzzle in my college dorm room on a Friday night at age 18 was likely not the way to earn cool points with friends, but I did it any way. I can’t say what I prefer more: the meditative experience of quietly assembling the puzzle or the emotional rush of finding and clicking-in that one piece that felt like it might have even been missing. Either way, puzzling is a delight in my life, and I suspect you’re here because it might be a part of your life, too.
Whether you are looking to gift a puzzle to an avid puzzling friend or maybe get your little one started as a novice puzzler, this gift guide will help you sort through 10 quality puzzle brands – that I have personally used – to make a good choice for your next puzzle purchase. The first five brand recommendations are most suited for adult or proficient puzzlers, the next three recommendations are for young children, and the last two recommendations are unique puzzling experiences for an out of the box gift. Happy puzzling!
Ravensburger
Ranging from fifteen to several thousand thousand piece puzzles, Ravensburger’s Softclick Technology makes for one of the most enjoyable puzzling experiences.
Buffalo Games & Puzzles
Easily found in most big-box stores, Buffalo Games & Puzzles are unique in the way they offer collections of puzzles from 11 different artists.
Cloudberries
In addition to their colorful, modern, sleek, and high quality puzzles, Cloudberries, based in Europe, plants a tree for every puzzle purchased.
Springbok
Are you ever unsure how to determine if a puzzle is too easy or too hard? It’s about more than just piece-count, and Springbok takes the guess work out of it by allowing you to shop by level of difficulty.
Ceaco
With an abundant collection of Disney puzzles, Ceaco is one of the most cost efficient and good quality puzzle brands that can be found in most big-box stores.
Mudpuppy
Would you like to introduce a toddler in your life to puzzling? Sets like this one from Mudpuppy will grow with your toddler’s proficiency.
Melissa & Doug Puzzles
Melissa & Doug’s large piece floor puzzles are durable and a great option for those super active preschoolers who aren’t quite ready to sit a table with small puzzle pieces.
Upbounders
On a mission to celebrate and inspire cultural differences, Upbounders puzzles are thick, durable, and beautiful.
Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
With fun, theme-shaped puzzles pieces, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles provide a really unique and quality puzzling experience.
Micro Puzzles
At just 150 mini pieces, these Micro Puzzles are the perfect stocking stuffer for the puzzle lovers in your life.
Greetings,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
You have a most impressive site.
As long as I can remember, trains have been an important part of my life beginning in my early childhood in the early 1950s. Fast forward to the late 70s/early 1980s, I purchased my trusty Canon AE-1 and began combing the mountain passes of Cajon Pass and Tehachapi Pass
recording the movements of ATSF, SP, and UP.
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HUSKERHERB’S PHOTOGRAPHY