It is a tradition that is enjoyed by everyone in your family. As soon as Thanksgiving arrives, you set up a permanent table in the corner of the family room where anyone in the family can sit and work on a jigsaw puzzle. Before the girls were born, 1000 and 2000 piece puzzles were typically found on the table. As soon as one was finished it was taken apart and another took its place. After the girls were old enough to join in, however, you often set out smaller pieces so that they could enjoy the tradition as well. Once the girls were old enough to help with the larger puzzles, you faced a new challenge. The girls became so attached to the puzzles, often ones they picked out themselves, they simply did not want to tear the puzzles apart.

As a result, you started buying at least one 1000 piece puzzle frame every year to make sure that the puzzles could be kept intact. The basement now has a number of framed puzzles hanging in the basement. Currently, you try to find really tough puzzles so that it will take most of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to complete. Only one puzzle completed means that there is no longer the need to continue buying 1000 piece puzzle frames all of the time. The girls as they have gotten older seem more content to let a puzzle be put back in its box.
Assembling Jigsaw Puzzles Is a Favorite Activity for Many Families
Although some families put together jigsaw puzzles year round, there are many more who save this activity for the cold months of winter. The days are shorter and some families spend more time in the house than they do in the summer when outside activities are more common. From easy puzzles to hard puzzles, there are a number of reasons that families love to sit and work on puzzles together. In addition to keeping mentally active and developing good hand eye coordination, puzzle work can be a lot of fun. In fact, research shows that puzzles activate a person’s brain while also providing psychological relaxation, putting the brain into a meditative state. If you are ready to start a new family tradition this winter, start looking for your next puzzle today!