Jigsaw Puzzles, Games, and More

Key Takeaways:

• Puzzling is one of the best screen-free activities for cozy weekends indoors.

• You can choose from a variety of puzzles, including jigsaw puzzles, mechanical puzzles, crossword puzzles, sudoku, and more.

• Puzzles lend themselves well to family tradition, perfect for fall weekends or holidays.

Not every weekend calls for a big outing. Sometimes all you need is a cozy sweatshirt, a bowl of snacks, a half-finished puzzle on the table calling your name. 

And when it comes to indoor puzzles and games, we like jigsaw puzzles. They put your hands and brain to work and can be a relaxing solo activity as well as a challenge for the whole family. It’s better for you than binge-watching Netflix or scrolling through social media, and paired with a few snacks, you have yourself a comfy, cozy weekend reset.  

Why Puzzles Are Making a Comeback

It's nice when the weekend comes around, and you don’t have much going on. No packed schedule. No need to rush or make plans with a million people. 

Weekends like this are great for rediscovering some of our favorite indoor hobbies. For some, that might mean card games, trivia, drawing or reading. Jigsaw puzzles fit that mold well. They’re screen-free without feeling like homework and relaxing without being boring. 

Studies show that jigsaw puzzles use several visuospatial skills, including perception, mental rotation, working memory, and reasoning. This is a very fancy way of saying your brain is working hard when you're hunting for that final corner piece! 

The important thing to remember is that puzzling is a marathon, not a sprint. No one is expecting you to complete that 1000-piece puzzle in one sitting. The enjoyment is in the process.

Starting a Family Puzzle Night

If your family needs something to do other than watch TV together, start a puzzle night! 

Does this mean everyone has to sit still for three hours? Absolutely not! That’s not a puzzle night…that’s a hostage situation.

The beauty of puzzle night is that people can drift in and out. The little ones can sort through the colors. The family can divide and conquer, picking individual sections to finish. Someone else can sit nearby, eating pretzels and micromanaging the situation.

If you're puzzling with young children, look for jigsaw puzzles with larger pieces or clear, colorful sections. A puzzle is no fun if it's too stressful. 

When everyone needs a break from the family puzzle session, have some trivia cards or board games nearby. 

Solo Relaxation and the Art of Puzzling

The American Psychological Association notes that people often drop leisure activities when life gets overwhelming, even though cutting off enjoyable activities can work against their stress relief. 

For grown-ups, puzzling offers a rare type of stress-relieving downtime. No errands. No doomscrolling. No trying to decide what to watch for 30 minutes and then watching nothing.

Some of our favorite puzzles for adults include:

• 2D & 3D jigsaw puzzles

• Crossword books

• Sudoku

• Word searches

• Rebus puzzles

• Mechanical puzzles

• Riddles

Keep some puzzle books nearby so you can have something within reach on your lazy Sunday. 

Rainy Weekend Activities

It’s easy to feel cooped up on rainy weekends. But also, can you think of a better time for jigsaw puzzles? 

Instead of waiting for a rainy day to jet over to the store to find a last-minute indoor game when the family starts feeling restless, have a small stash ready to go. 

A good rainy-day stash can include:

• A family puzzle or two with different piece counts

• Adult puzzle books (crosswords, word searches, logic puzzles, etc.)

• A deck of cards

• Colored pencils and paper

• Coloring books

• Rainy-day snacks

• Some cozy blankets

Pairing Puzzles With Snacks and Hot Drinks

Puzzle time is even better with snacks nearby. Just make sure to avoid sticky, greasy or messy snacks. No one wants cheese dust or caramel on every piece!

Keep it light and fun:

• Popcorn

• Crackers

• Cookies

• Trail mix

• Pretzels

Don’t forget the drinks! Nothing says cozy weekend afternoon like a hot cup of cocoa or cider. As a bonus, putting together a little snack tray can become part of your family jigsaw puzzle tradition. 

Making Puzzles a Seasonal Tradition

The beauty of jigsaw puzzles is that they come back around without much effort. First cold weekend of fall? Puzzle. Holiday break? Puzzle. Grandparents visiting? Puzzle. Quiet Sunday with nowhere to be? Sounds like a puzzle day.

Let kids pick the puzzle sometimes. Take a photo when the last piece goes in. Keep a puzzle going on the table for a few days. Make it a Sunday afternoon thing with cocoa. 

There’s no need to force a big family tradition, just let it happen naturally. 

But for family puzzles, tradition is the real point. It’s wandering back to the table when you have a moment. It’s hearing your kid scream “I found one!” from the other room. It's the grown-up who gets that smug, proud look from finding that middle piece no one else could. That’s the good weekend stuff. 

Bring Back the Puzzle Table

Next time the weekend rolls around and you have nothing to do but sit inside, consider this your inspiration to puzzle. And to make sure you're not puzzle-less when the day comes, shop Ollie’s for jigsaw puzzles, family puzzles, puzzles for adults, board games, and more. 

Check the current flyer to see what's in stock or find a location near you.