Jigsaws & Books
Jigsaws and books help us raise vital funds towards our work as well as offering wonderful ways to keep your brain active and alert, to relax and to feel like you’ve achieved something.
Whether it’s an activity to fill a rainy day or a hobby for anyone who is unable to get out and about, they can be a diversion or a lifeline – frustrating and satisfying in equal measure!
We have an extensive collection of jigsaws for sale. There’s plenty of choice from the tricky to the quick and easy. Jigsaws are £1 to purchase – a bargain in terms of entertainment value! The best thing is, jigsaws are in constant demand, so you can donate it back for someone else to enjoy and pick up a new challenge while you’re at it.
Our second hand book collection is constantly changing too. Soft back books cost £1 and hardbacks are £2. Read and then donate back – every little helps!
But if you can’t find anything you fancy, remember our Community Library is open 5 days a week from 10am – 3pm.
Jigsaws Have Health Benefits
There are various reasons why we might choose to complete a jigsaw – for example, to take on a challenge, relax and unwind, or (if completed with others) to socialise. But did you know that there are many health benefits to puzzling?
1. Physical Health
Jigsaw puzzles can help you relax and may reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate as a result.
They can also be excellent for improving and maintaining fine motor skills (making the manipulation of small objects easier).
2. Puzzling can help your mind stay sharp
Completing a puzzle requires problem-solving, memory, and visual perception skills. As a result, studies suggest that jigsaw puzzles may be an effective way to exercise your mind and combat cognitive decline.
3. Puzzles can make you feel good
When you correctly fit a puzzle piece, there’s evidence that your brain produces higher levels of the ‘feel-good’ hormone dopamine, which can lead to feelings of accomplishment and fulfilment.
Some people also compare completing a jigsaw puzzle to meditation, because it provides a sense of peace and calm. As a result, studies suggest that spending time concentrating on a jigsaw puzzle can ease stress and anxiety.
4. Help you Connect with family & Friends
Jigsaw puzzles can be just as fun to solve with others as they are by yourself.
Why not start a jigsaw puzzle on a table in your house where other people can easily access it? This might encourage family or friends to connect a few pieces of the puzzle whenever they have a moment to sit down and focus on it – or give you the opportunity to complete it together.
Doing a jigsaw puzzle can also be an effective way to spend time with children.
5. Jigsaws Benefit Children
We all know that children’s minds can dart from one thing to the next. But jigsaw puzzles can provide a good source of focus.
Plus, there are plenty of learning benefits to solving jigsaw puzzles. For example, themed puzzles can be a good way to help children learn everything from colours and letters to numbers and shapes.
6. Puzzling can give you time to yourself
Jigsaws are great if you need some ‘me time’. They allow you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life – and from the unrelenting stimulus of today’s digital world.
7. Solving jigsaw puzzles can help to reduce screen time
Spending too much time in front of screens isn’t healthy. It can affect our eyes, brain health, sleeping patterns, and weight. However, finding ways to minimise screen time can be tricky.
Doing a jigsaw puzzle can encourage you to take time away from your phone, computer, and TV. Jigsaw puzzles are also immersive, so it’s easy for several hours to pass before you realise you’ve not picked up your phone once!
Some Jigsaw History
English cartographer John Spilsbury created the first jigsaw puzzle in the 1760s
He attached a map of the world to a piece of wood, cut out each country, and dared people to put it back together. Spilsbury then marketed these puzzles to wealthy and influential people as a way to teach their children geography.
The first cardboard jigsaw puzzle appeared in the late 1800s
These didn’t initially replace wooden jigsaws because manufacturers believed cardboard puzzles would be seen as low-quality. The profit margins on the wooden puzzles were also larger.
Jigsaw puzzles now come in many shapes and sizes and can be anything from just a few pieces to several thousand.