You know what I did today? I went to Target and bought the boys two new puzzles each. They are each 24 pieces, perfect for a 2 and 3 year old. And the boxes are cool too, with a holographic Mickey and Spongebob on them. And it was totally appropriate that I bought them today, considering it’s National Puzzle Day! Here is the scoop:
Today puzzle-lovers across the country will solve puzzles of all shapes and sizes. While famous for board games and toys, Hasbro is also one of the world’s largest producers of puzzles, distributing more than eight million each year. Hasbro, which manufactures many puzzles locally in East Longmeadow, Mass., encourages families to join in the excitement of National Puzzle Day by kicking off their weekend with an affordable night of puzzling.
A beneficial practice for all ages, puzzling is a challenging and thought-provoking activity. Puzzles are a great way to reinforce concentration and reasoning skills, while also promoting teamwork. For adults, puzzles might help reduce stress and provide some “exercise” for the brain. For children, puzzling is an educational and enjoyable experience that promotes social interaction.
For those planning to celebrate National Puzzle Day, puzzling doesn’t have to be a short-lived activity around a quiet kitchen table. Incorporate puzzling throughout the day. To remind family members about the evening’s entertainment, Moms can write notes on puzzle pieces and include in lunch boxes or briefcases. Try spicing up the family dinner by using puzzle pieces as place cards or serving cookies in the shape of puzzle pieces. And to encourage as much Friday night entertainment as possible, solve a puzzle in front of a family movie or play some music that everyone enjoys. Challenge everyone in your family to just complete ONE piece of the puzzle – after that, they’ll be hooked.
When selecting a puzzle for National Puzzle Day, consider Hasbro’s best-selling BIG BEN collection. From landscapes to vibrant images of wildflowers, the 1,000-piece puzzles have been entertaining families for more than 65 years.
To enhance the atmosphere while puzzling, choose one of Hasbro’s Yankee Candle Scented Puzzles. The 300-piece puzzles feature scenes of apple orchards infused with a scent of MacIntosh® apples, a children’s tea party accompanied by the alluring fragrance of Clean Cotton®, and a scenic seaside town with the intriguing smell of Sage & Citrus®. These familiar Yankee Candle fragrances are subtly released while solving the puzzles.
And for the little ones, the canister puzzles feature larger puzzle pieces with toy figures from the kid-favorite Hasbro properties of Littlest Pet Shop and Transformers. TIME FOR US puzzles are perfect for parents and kids to solve together. These 300-piece puzzles, featuring images of puppies, teddy bears and dinosaurs, have large pieces for little hands and smaller pieces for big hands.
Even after National Puzzle Day is over, continue the fun by setting aside a regular night for puzzling as a family. Hasbro puzzles are available for an approximate retail price of $2.49 – $14.99 and many are made with sustainable materials such as soy-based ink and recyclable cardboard. For additional information about Hasbro puzzles or games, please visit www.hasbro.com.
My oldest son will spend hours on a good puzzle! That’s saying something, since he’s five, and has the attention span of a gnat.