Gift-buying for Children is generally quite easy. There's an abundance of the latest toys and games to choose from, plus kids are (luckily) quite upfront with what they want... or you can always find out by asking them to write a wishlist to Santa.
However, once we become adults we can actually become quite hard to buy gifts for. You know the feeling, where you find yourself including the receipt in case they don't like it, or it's safer to default to the "old faithful" bottle of wine/ box of shortbread biscuits/ candles/ socks etc
But with Christmas around the corner, this year, why not consider giving the gift of puzzling..?
Jigsaw Puzzles make great gifts for adults! Especially after coming into the spotlight during the lockdown, many more people may be wishing for a puzzle under the tree this year. Here are a few reasons why puzzles make such wonderful presents for adults of all ages...
- Anyone can do a Jigsaw Puzzle. Mums, Dads, Partners, Best Friends, The In-Laws, Work Colleagues... There's a Jigsaw Puzzle to suit everyone! From beginner to hardcore puzzle enthusiast, you can find just the right amount of challenge they'll enjoy. Plus puzzles are very visual and the wide range of beautiful designs available means that you'll be sure to find an image that the recipient will appreciate.
- It encourages them to spend more time with Family. Put a jigsaw puzzle on the table, and everyone wants to get involved! It's an activity they can do to get their children involved (we hear how lots of parents let their children pick out the whimsies and put these in at the end). Or they can sit with their partner and a glass of wine, encouraging them to spend more quality time together.
- Or to take a moment of me-time. When you give a puzzle as a present, you aren't just providing an activity for them to do to for a few hours. You're giving the gift of a path to wellbeing and mindfulness, a little distraction from screens, and a wonderful way to relax. Especially around Christmas time when people can get overwhelmed.
- They last a long time. Wentworth Puzzles are known for being very durable, so they can use their puzzle gift again and again for many years to come. They can make a tradition to complete the puzzle as a family every year on the run-up to Christmas. Often become family heirlooms that they can eventually pass down to their own children.
- They're Eco-friendly and Sustainable! If you're buying for someone who is working towards reducing their plastic consumption or you want to aim towards reducing the environmental impact that your Christmas shopping makes, then buying a wooden puzzle is a great option. Wentworth Puzzles are made with wood from sustainable sources, plus we've ditched the plastic shrink wrap from our packaging.
- They're easy to wrap. A small added bonus of jigsaw puzzles is that they usually come in square or rectangular boxes, making them super simple to wrap in your chosen wrapping paper
So you've decided you're going to get them a puzzle... now all you have to do is choose the best one! We've put together a handy guide on how to choose a great jigsaw puzzle gift for an adult.
- First, choose the piece count and difficulty level. Matching the right amount of challenge to your recipient is essential for a good puzzling experience. If they’re new to puzzling, we’d recommend one of our 250 piece puzzles as they are our most popular size and offer a great starting point. This may seem quite low, but thanks to the challenging irregular cut, dissected corners and straight pieces within the puzzle, they generally equate to a 1,000 piece cardboard puzzle. For someone more experienced, take a look at 500 pieces all the way up to 1,000 piece puzzles. And for the most hardcore puzzle enthusiast, then one of our Extra-Difficult puzzles with repetitive tesselated pieces is a great option. If the puzzle is going to be a stocking filler, our smaller puzzles are ideal. They’re up to 80 pieces but are still surprisingly tricky
- Find out their interests. Next is probably the most fun part – choosing the illustration on the front! This is where you can really tailor your gift. Maybe the recipient loves a particular animal, or has a favourite fine artist? Do they like something weird and wonderful, or are they keen travelers? We have lots of different designs to suit all tastes and interests – check out our Gift Ideas section for some inspiration. If you’re not sure what they’re in to, swing by our best-sellers category to see what’s popular. Our puzzles contain whimsy pieces too, so the theme of the puzzle is continued into these special shapes – they are truly enchanting and make the gift seem that bit more special and thoughtful!
- Consider a Shaped Puzzle. Our shaped puzzles are very popular, and an unusual twist on a classic jigsaw. The edge of these puzzles follows the shape of the illustration so there are no straight edges, adding a slight degree of difficulty. But it’s definitely worth it. We have lots of different designs, with animal-shaped puzzles being our customer’s favourites!
If you’re still not sure, why not try our Puzzle Finder tool to help narrow down to a suitable selection?
Once you’ve picked your puzzle gift, you have the option to add gift wrap and a personalised message so that you can send it directly to the recipient’s address.
We hope that they enjoy! Have you bought a jigsaw puzzle as a gift for an adult this year? Let us know on our social media, and don’t forget to tag us on #WentworthPuzzles for your chance to have your picture featured in our ‘Made by You’ gallery.
Happy Puzzling and Merry Christmas!