Solving jigsaw puzzles for seniors is a very relaxing and pleasant activity, but more than that, it is fun, it is a brain training exercise to stop the deterioration of mental capacity and it gives opportunity to become a social activity either with other seniors or with family and children. And best of all there is such a huge range of choice for both the pictures and the complexity that it should keep elderly or anyone far away from boredom.
Let us look at all aspects of jigsaw puzzles below:
Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles for Seniors
1) Jigsaw puzzles as a brain exercise
In a very pleasant way the brain is using its strength in order to get the puzzle solved, but the reason i said pleasant is because one is doing so without any effort unlike in some other cases where we might actively attempt to use the brain and end up with a headache. With a large choice of jigsaw puzzles for seniors and family everybody can enjoy the pleasant experience while in the background the brain is working hard practicing on pattern recognition and memory and matching the pieces.
Naturally not just any puzzle will be good for you. You have to select the one which is matching your current brain capacity and work your way up in difficulty. It does not matter at all which level you presently have. An easy puzzle for a weaker brain has just the same effect as a complex puzzle for a strong brain. So just always pick your correct difficulty level. If you don’t know how, just try any puzzle and use that as a guiding mechanism. If it was easy then pick a harder one next time. By doing this seniors can enjoy brain exercise and memory training with pleasure.
2) Jigsaw as a group game for seniors
One of the great qualities of a jigsaw puzzle is its ability to be played alone or with a group. So as socializing is also very important for seniors to maintain a high quality of life and extended years the various jigsaw puzzles can be used to create a wonderful social party game.
All that is needed for a successful and happy day is a table, a beautiful jigsaw puzzle (or more than one), some nice food and drinks for everyone and nice background music. With two or more seniors it would be a lovely time with pleasant conversations and discussions while the jigsaw puzzle can keep hands busy and serve as a facilitator in conversations and enjoyment. Don’t forget to takes pictures to document the success of solving the puzzle!
3) Jigsaw puzzles for seniors are adapted for impairments
If seniors suffer from some type of impairments either on the mental level (memory issues, dementia) or on the physical one (visual impairments, weaker limb control) then it is good to know that there are also large pieces jigsaw puzzles, which can be more practical for such cases. There are also both standard and complex shapes of puzzles so perhaps sticking with more traditional types would be better.
Such simple activity with beautiful multiple colours could keep seniors occupied by themselves if needed and there should not be any negative reactions as it is a very relaxing and pleasant experience.
4) An enormous range of jigsaw puzzles to choose from
Before even looking at the picture on top of the jigsaw puzzle and as mentioned above there are some mechanical differences which create even more choice. The same puzzle could be:
- Made of small, medium and large pieces
- Quantity of puzzle pieces based on above and also the size of the puzzle itself going to some obscene numbers like 100,000+ piece puzzles (talk about going for a record)
- The way the puzzle pieces are cut or should go together which also dictates the level of challenge
- The shape of the puzzle while traditionally a two dimensional surface is now multiplier to all kinds of jigsaw puzzle types such as a 3D globe or other geometric shapes
That said we arrive to choosing the picture and here seniors and family have a vast choice, so pick the one close to your heart. I enjoy animals myself and here you can see just some free printable jigsaw puzzles for seniors from our puzzles section on this website.
 |
 |
 |
 |
5) Jigsaw puzzles for seniors and family can be fully customized
Seniors and family may wish to order custom made puzzles using family or holiday photos. This serves as a fantastic gift for seniors also as they can activities with their loved ones in front of them.
In customization sometimes also the types of materials can be chosen, which usually also dictates the further increase of price. The most common one is cardboard, but it is also possible to make the jigsaw puzzles for seniors and family from all kinds of other materials like wood, plastic and other variants.
To conclude:
I hope this article on jigsaw puzzles for seniors and family was very interesting and helpful for you. Among activities for seniors and games for seniors the small or large pieces jigsaw puzzles for the elderly are definitely a very well known and loved favourite.