This should come as no surprise to regular readers – I can highly recommend jigsaw puzzles for Christmas. I think they make for the best Christmas gift.
If you’re on the fence about puzzles, perhaps you haven’t fallen for the hobby yourself, below I’ll tell you why puzzles as gifts are definitely a good idea, and not just for Christmas.
Additionally, I’ll give you some jigsaw puzzle gift ideas for your dear ones based on which of the following reasons speaks to you the most.
Table of Contents
Reasons to give jigsaw puzzles for Christmas
1. They sharpen the mind
Everybody knows jigsaw puzzles are good for the brain. This is an educational gift, which is fun at the same time. It’s a unique offline (!) mind exercise.
And that applies at any age. For the elderly, jigsaw puzzles are often used to slow down the onset of dementia.
By all means, jigsaw puzzles are not a waste of time and can be a valuable gift even when you’re not sure your friend or family member is into puzzles.
Houseplant Jungle
1,000 pieces
Galison
This botanical puzzle is no piece of cake, but anybody who wants to especially exercise their mind will love it.
Silver Krypt
654 pieces
Ravensburger
A popular jigsaw puzzle challenge of experienced puzzlers, this Krypt puzzle is a great gift for anybody who’s already finished a few puzzles and is ready for the next level.
2. The giftee will think about you when spending hours solving it
Imagine your friend or relative spending hours solving the jigsaw puzzle you gave her. Who is she going to think about while working on the puzzle? Who is she going to call first, once she completes the puzzle? The answer is you!
Just make sure you buy a quality puzzle and not a frustrating one, otherwise, the odds might turn against you.
Bicycles in Amsterdam
1,000 pieces
Ravensburger
Ravensburger puzzles belong to the highest quality ones, so a puzzle of this brand is as thoughtful as jigsaw puzzle gifts can be. Plus, this image is nothing too challenging.
Evening at the Lake
500 pieces
Springbok
Beautiful scenery at the lake – what more to give to someone than peace and calm? This could be a good puzzle to give also after an argument.
3. It provides a fun activity especially for long winter evenings
Winters can be tough. Since I’m writing this post in 2020, we all know the upcoming winter 2020/2021 is going to be especially long.
Be so kind and help your dear one get through the winter smoothly – the hours spent on the jigsaw puzzle will be definitely among the happy ones.
Other than beach scene puzzles, these will work wonders:
Cozy Retreat
1,000 pieces
Ravensburger
The ultimate feel-good puzzle by Ravensburger, it just breathes the cozy homely atmosphere. Any worries go away while solving this puzzle.
Maple Leaves Heart
1,000 pieces
Ingooood
This brand specializes in feel-good puzzles and this one is their bestseller. It’s made of basswood and if it ever gets too challenging, there are guiding letters on the back.
4. The solved puzzle picture can even be hung up on the wall – 2 gifts in 1!
If you pick a beautiful image, the gift receiver will definitely want to hang it on their wall too. It’s a jigsaw puzzle gift that keeps giving. At least twice. 🙂
If you aim to buy a puzzle for the wall, pay attention to objects your friend/relative likes, and also the general color scheme of it. You don’t want to buy a colorful mess when the giftee is somebody who loves minimalist design.
The Starry Night by Van Gogh
500 pieces
Clementoni
The ultimate artwork to put on a wall. Even though this puzzle is just 500 pieces, it’s quite a difficult one. The result is beautiful and even more rewarding.
Asian Lanterns
1,000 pieces
Eurographics
A beautifully colorful puzzle that can adorn any wall of a person who loves colors. This puzzle is especially fun since the pieces are quite funky.
If you feel especially generous, you can even get them the tools for hanging the actual image. These adhesive sheets make gluing a puzzle a piece of cake.
5. Your choice of a puzzle motif will reflect how well you know the person
Do you go ride horses together? Then a horse jigsaw puzzle is clearly the best Christmas gift. Think of what you two have in common and look for a puzzle representing it.
Even if you don’t engage in an activity together, if you know your dear one well, you’ll be sure what image would get straight to the heart. Be careful when selecting the right motif and you’ll score high.
If your friend is absolutely enthusiastic about Christmas, check out this selection of Christmas-themed jigsaws and buy a relevant Christmas gift puzzle. 🙂
Galloping Horses
1,000 pieces
Trefl
Galloping horses, wild and free. Anyone who loves horses (or just animals) will immensely enjoy solving this jigsaw puzzle.
Disney Pixar – The Artist’s Desk
1,000 pieces
Ravensburger
Any Disney fan will be grateful to receive this Disney jigsaw puzzle of a Pixar artist’s desk. This is where magic happens.
6. It can become an activity you and the giftee engage in together
Solving puzzles is a wonderful team activity. Often the conversations shared in a session of puzzling are unique and deep. When your mind wanders and you’re open with the other person, ideas can flow freely and you might learn something new about each other.
Doing a puzzle together creates a deeper bond between two people, whether it be in a friendship, between relatives, or even in a romantic relationship (see also these romantic jigsaw puzzles).
To solve a puzzle in more people, choose an image that has clearly defined sections.
European Vintage Posters
500 pieces
Americanflat
Vintage posters of European countries, what’s not to love? Plus, the borders of each section are clearly defined – that helps when solving in more people!
Funny Dogs
1,500 pieces
Buffalo Games
Doesn’t this puzzle make you chuckle when just looking at it? Imagine solving it with your friend together – good times await!
See my latest overview of jigsaw puzzles with dogs.
7. You can start their new hobby or support an existing one
If they’ve never done a puzzle before, it can feel quite challenging. Refer your friend to this article on jigsaw puzzle strategy and they’ll know how to proceed and solve the puzzle with ease. 🙂
Since puzzling is addictive, you might be signing up for a lifetime of buying jigsaw puzzles as a present. Let me tell you – that makes gift giving so easy!
If your close one really falls for puzzles, you’ll always be remembered as the one who sparked that interest in them. It’s worth a try, don’t you think?
Colorful crayons
500 pcs
Springbok
If they’re a beginner, this 500 piece jigsaw puzzle is rather easy and is thus more likely to spark interest in puzzles generally.
Cuban Art Deco
1,000 pieces
Galison
This colorful puzzle has a lot going on on the image, so it’s guaranteed the puzzling will be fun. It’s good for beginners and advanced puzzlers alike.
8. If you buy a quality puzzle, it can last for decades
Puzzles do last, especially the high-quality ones. If you look at jigsaw puzzle history, many of the original puzzles were made of wood. You can buy wooden puzzles to this day and they are inarguably the most durable kind.
As for classic puzzles made of cardboard, there are brands known for the high quality of their puzzles, which can be assembled over and over again. Those are e.g. Ravensburger or Springbok.
The person you care about can thus do the puzzle every year and each time think about how good of a friend/partner you are for giving them such a brilliant Christmas gift.
A Parisian Walk
1,000 pieces
VCOMO
This wooden puzzle has raving reviews and the pieces are extra durable – they’re even water-resistant! Featuring a lovely walk through rainy Paris.
Planetary Vision
1,000 pieces
Ravensburger
A top-quality puzzle of our planetary system, it’s the right amount of difficult, but not too much. This puzzle can become a staple in your friend’s arsenal.
9. They are not expensive
While quality puzzles can get quite expensive, there are still a few brands, which sell high-quality puzzles at an affordable price. Even just ten bucks! I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of another such cheap gift item that has so many benefits.
Similarly, you could buy a second-hand puzzle for even less. If you come across one, do the courtesy to the giftee and count the pieces. There’s nothing more frustrating than finishing a jigsaw puzzle only to find out there are a few pieces missing.
Country Store
500 pieces
Buffalo Games
A fun puzzle of a typical country store made in the US, this one is also quite cheap. Get it if your budget is not big.
Mickey and Minnie
750 pieces
Ceaco
Any Disney fan will enjoy this beautiful scene created by Thomas Kinkade, a famous American painter.
10. Provide a welcome escape to a fantasy world – even travel
Jigsaw puzzles provide a much-needed escape to a meditative state of mind. We can be taken to faraway lands simply because we’re working on a puzzle of a beautiful landscape.
How else could you transport yourself mentally, as if in a dream? I don’t know about any other method other than virtual reality. 🙂
Whether your friend likes Harry Potter, unicorns, or just is a travel freak, choose a jigsaw puzzle image carefully to help them with an escape they surely crave.
Cinque Terre
1,000 pieces
Buffalo Games
One of the most beautiful views of Italy’s Cinque Terre. Anyone passionate about travel will love working on this puzzle.
Camping Reflections
1,000 pieces
Buffalo Games
Camping is such a relaxing activity, don’t you think? This lovely image will bring back some fun memories from camping trips past.
Ok, so here you go! I’m sure all doubts about whether to give puzzles for Christmas or not have been successfully dispersed. Jigsaw puzzles are just the best Christmas gift. And yes, I’m a little biased, but you’ll thank me later!
I am myself already eyeing a few jigsaws for Christmas, which I’ll probably buy myself. 🙂
Let me know if you plan to buy puzzles for gifts to somebody for Christmas or whether you’ve received one yourself.
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