by Janet Dunn

Created on: December 09, 2010

In today’s world of videos games and online gamers there is still one past-time favorite that has survived for more than 200 years. It can be played by one or more players at the same time and holds it own against many old-time favorites such as checkers and horseshoes. This creative brain storm made its first appearance 1767.  It was not used as a fun way to pass time, but taken very seriously as an educational resource.  

The Jigsaw Puzzle was invented by mapmaker and engraver, John Spilsbury, who served as an apprentice to Thomas Jefferys who was the geographer to King George III. 

Honing his craft along with his knowledge of geography, John Spilsbury decided one day in 1766 to secure a map to a piece of wood and cut out the lines of each country with a fine tooth saw.  The completion of his project was finalized in 1767.  This creation became a sensation virtually over night, especially with the English upper class parents, as a way to teach their children geography.

Soon his invention became a phenomenal tool for education.  Seeing the opportunity of a great business venture through the popularity of his creation, he chose eight different themes to work with: the World, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.  Thus began the addiction of not only gaining a learning experience while working a jigsaw puzzle, but the feeling of successful completion it brought when placing the last piece in its place.

Originally these creations were called “dissections”, but in the latter part of the 1800’s when different saws began to be designed for various projects, these puzzles became known as jigsaw puzzles.

Today these creations are a popular past-time especially with senior citizens, but they are also a fantastic tool for teaching young children numbers, colors, shapes and letters. They come in many different themes such as pictures of the world, depictions of animals, nature, colors, numbers, shapes, words and scenic pictures of anything imaginable and are offered in different shapes, sizes and number of pieces geared toward age appropriateness. You can find jigsaw puzzles in use in most every educational system in the world as well as many health facilities.  And in the home they are a wonderful learning past-time and addictive hobby.

For older people health science has proven that working jigsaw puzzles improves not only their manual dexterity but eye/hand coordination as well.  It has also been verified that working jigsaw puzzles improves the memory and has potential benefits toward the possibility of helping to keep dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

If he were alive today, Mr. Spilsbury would be astounded at what his “idea” birthed. The psychological impact of working with these puzzles have been researched and proven that by exercising the brain, the mind stays active and alert.  And these puzzles do just that, hours upon hours of fun and relaxation are to be gained from John Spilsbury’s creation.

One John Spilsbury map is believed to still be in existence in Britain’s educational system.

Additional Readings and Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John Spilsbury_(mapmaker)

http://www.bl.uk/learning/artimages/maphist/minds/ji gsawpuzzle/jigsawpuzzle1766.html

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-benefits-of-jigs aw-puzzles-a147474

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