Jigsaw Puzzles for Kids & Adults: Here's Why Puzzles Are the Best Winter Activity for Families by Dieter Schmitz

As a native Minnesoootan, I love winters. The outdoors brings us such beauty: Snow. Cold. Fresh air. Skiing. Skating. But winter also brings us meaningful indoor time with family and friends.

One of my favorite fireside activities is laying out and finishing a puzzle. This activity allows everyone in the family to participate. It keeps everyone at the same table. And, it brings a sense of cooperation and accomplishment. No one wins or loses. Yet, everyone has an important part.

Although there are many companies that make puzzles, I prefer those from Ravensburger. Maybe it's my German heritage. Or maybe it's because Ravensburger makes the best puzzles.

A little history. The Ravensburger company was founded by Otto Robert Maier in 1883 in Ravensburg, Germany – near Ulm, Germany, where my mother grew up during World War II. The company has continued to grow both its publishing and game divisions – and acquired another of my favorite companies, BRIO, the Swedish toy train company in 2015. Wooden trains (and all model trains) are amazing fun. But, I digress. Back to puzzling.

I recently discovered one of the coolest accessories for puzzling, which is the Ravensburger Puzzle Store. It fits the 1,000-piece puzzle perfectly, which is a wonderful size. You can sort and work on different parts of the puzzle. And, you can close the lid and save the puzzle for future work, avoiding the dreaded "missing one piece, now what do I do?"

My wife, Elisa, and I have started putting together puzzles based on our various travels. So far we have finished puzzle scenes of Venice and Paris, with several other European destinations waiting for us to solve this winter. It brings back wonderful memories for us. We set them up in our living room where others can participate, and they are great conversation starters.

A final tip is the various ways to save the final product. Yes, one can take the puzzle apart and do it again next winter. If, however, you wish to save or frame the finished work (which is what we are choosing to do), you can use puzzle glue (kinda messy) or the slick puzzle glue sheets offered by various manufacturers, such as Peel & Stick by MasterPieces. It works really well!

Although winter is best spent outdoors, once your cheeks and nose are red – and it's time to come inside – snuggle up to the puzzle table and truly bring holiday cheer to the entire family!

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