Where have all the puzzles gone? Here are 11 good ones still available
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When the world is coming down, you make the best of what’s still around. That’s probably why jigsaw puzzles—once a rainy-day activity—have become almost as essential as toilet paper. The thing is, the boom in puzzle popularity has led to an actual shortage. Getting a great puzzle right now is not as easy as it once was.
During the initial weeks of widespread social-distancing orders, top puzzle manufacturer Ravensburger saw its U.S. puzzle sales soar 370 percent. The company has sold a staggering 20 puzzles per minute this year so far. Keeping up with demand has been difficult, industry-wide; Google searches for puzzles show a 671 percent increase between March 12 and March 29.
Industry insiders know the power of the puzzle: “In times of uncertainty, puzzles are emotionally calming,” says Thomas Kaeppelar, president of Ravensburger North America, in a conversation with Yahoo Lifestyle. “They also provide a way to cope with anxiety and boredom.”
In addition, puzzles are a natural way for families to be together. Everyone can work at their own pace, “with the satisfaction,” adds Kaeppelar, “of completing something in a world where so much is out of control.” Amen to that.
Here are 11 puzzles—of various levels of challenge—to bring you that sense of calm, control, and peace we all crave right now. Scoop them up before they sell out.
Frank Lloyd Wright Saguaro Cactus And Forms Foil Stamped Puzzle
There’s something comforting about the crisp geometry of this Frank Lloyd Wright design. Intersecting circles, abutting squares—it’s like a masterful doodle rendered in cheery midcentury tones. At 1,054 pieces this 20” x 27” puzzle will provide a heaping helping of entertainment.
540 Colors 3D Puzzle
The 3D format brings a whole new dimension—literally—to puzzle assembly. This globe-shaped puzzle measuring 9” in diameter explores the color scale, with a rainbow gradient that fades to white at one “pole” and to black at the other.
Ravensburger Caribbean Smile Puzzle
“We’ve found that puzzle images that invoke a feeling of ‘coziness,’ or have a first-person view have been resonating with customers,” says Thomas Kaeppelar, president of Ravensburger North America. Case in point: this 60-piece, 14” x 10” best-seller for kids, which promises to soothe the soul as it busies the brain.
Votes for Women Puzzle
Teach the kids as you puzzle together. A glossy, illustrated 500-piece lesson about the suffrage movement definitely counts as homeschooling, in our book. Have the kids Google names (like Elizabeth Cady Stanton) as you hunt for pieces. 23 inches in diameter.
Celestial Map Puzzle
The rich astrological imagery of this dense, delightful celestial scene will help you escape the madness and feed your imagination. Available in five sizes and difficulty levels (from 30 pieces to a whopping 1,014). Use code TOGETHERZAZZ for 30 percent off.
Shop it: Celestial Map Puzzle, $13-$44 depending on size, with code TOGETHERZAZZ (was $18-$63), zazzle.com
Areaware Gradient Puzzle
A puzzle like this appeals to a certain personality type—strong, determined, and hell-bent on success. This beauty measures 18” x 24” when assembled and is available in three color combos: cool blues (above), sunset orange and yellow, and vibrant purple and magenta. Choose a palette that goes with a room in your home. (When you’ve fit these 500 pieces together, you’ll want to show off your work on the wall!)
Golden Girls Puzzle
All out of Golden Girls episodes? If you’ve streamed through the series but still crave quality time with Blanche, Sophia, Dorothy, and Rose, snap up this portrait puzzle in a range of sizes and levels of difficulty—and have fun getting the gang back together with your own “roommates.”
Shop it: Golden Girls Puzzle, $44-$141, etsy.com
The Crossworder's Jigsaw Challenge
After the closets are sorted and the off-season clothes put away; after you’ve mopped the floors and raked winter out of the garden; after you’ve cooked all that can be tupperwared and frozen, there’s this puzzle, sure to become an all-consuming experience. Solving a crossword guides the assembly of the 550-piece jigsaw. All brain cells firing! The final product measures 18”x 24”. And for the math-minded? There’s also a Sudoku version.
The Van Gogh Wooden Masterpiece Jigsaw, A Wheatfield with Cypresses
Tactile and luxe, this wooden jigsaw of a Van Gogh landscape measures 10” x 14” and includes 250 laser-cut pieces, plus a cloth storage satchel. It might just become a family heirloom of sorts, handed down from one generation to the next, with an origin story no one is likely to forget.
Funes Valley Medium Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
The hills are alive with the sound of travel in this finely wrought scenic wooden jigsaw. Depicting a picturesque mountainscape in northern Italy, this not-too-challenging 200-piece puzzle—10” x 10” when completed—is an escape in itself.
Gustav Klimt Flower Garden Puzzle
If you’ve been itching to fill your home with flowers, try sitting down with Klimt’s Flower Garden. Available in five sizes and difficulty levels (from 30 pieces to a whopping 1,014). Use code TOGETHERZAZZ for 30 percent off.
Shop it: Gustav Klimt Flower Garden Puzzle, $13-$44 depending on size, with code TOGETHERZAZZ (was $18-$63), zazzle.com
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