Children's Jigsaw Puzzles

Children's jigsaw puzzles were originally made by painting a picture onto a piece of wood, and then cutting the picture into smaller pieces using a tool known as a "jigsaw". In 1760, John Spilsbury, who was a London-based mapmaker, is credited with making the first commercially available jigsaw puzzles. It’s hard to think that technology can change the humble jigsaw, but the truth is that it has, as the very latest production methods and accurate machinery means that cuts are cleaner, shapes are sharper, and printing is clearer than ever.

In order for children's jigsaw puzzles to be reasonably priced, most mass produced ones are made of rigid cardboard, but very high quality wooden ones are also available. They come in all shapes and sizes – square, rectangular, round, and even 3D ball shaped jigsaw puzzles made by Ravensburger, which are made from precision plastic moulded pieces. For the junior members of the family, chunky wooden puzzles in the shape of animals or people are very popular.

The very young are catered for with very simple 2 piece jigsaws up to massive 18,000 pieces for the experts! Popular jigsaw manufacturers are Orchard Toys who specialise in puzzles for kids up to the age of 8, and Jumbo, Gibsons, George Luck and John Crane who all make fantastic choices for age groups from 5 to 100.

Another innovation has been the introduction of special shapes into the traditional format, and children love picking out the outline of an elephant, a tree or the moon as an added enjoyment factor. Jigsaw libraries have been set up, and many people find the challenge of completing a difficult jigsaw puzzle, both stimulating and relaxing. This selection of children's jigsaw puzzle shops should be able to supply almost any requirement.