What are the benefits of puzzles?

SURPRISING BENEFITS OF PUZZLES ON THE BRAIN

People who enjoy and are actively engaged in solving puzzles are at an advantage over those who do not. Learn about all the benefits of puzzles below:

• How Puzzles Help the Brain:

Solving puzzles boosts short-term memory by helping you remember different shapes and colours as well as prompting you to visualize the bigger picture to figure out which pieces fit together. Keeping your mind active with puzzles is so good for memory they can even delay the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Puzzles also help the brain think more critically and can even raise your IQ if you do them regularly. Finally, puzzles can help improve your mood since they encourage the production of dopamine in the brain.

• What Skills do Puzzles Develop:

Puzzles help develop and nurture three basic skills. Children who are engaged with puzzles early on can build physical, cognitive and emotional skills. In addition to these skills, doing a puzzle with a friend or family member also encourages the development of social skills.

• Benefits of Puzzles for Child Development:

Children who play with puzzles sharpen their problem-solving skills as they must use their imagination to figure out how to solve the game. They can also teach children to deepen their understanding of how to follow directions to achieve their goals, improve hand-eye coordination, learn fine motor skills and improve self-esteem.

• Benefits of Logic Puzzles:

Solving logic puzzles is like taking your brain to the gym. They exercise parts of the brain that may not be stimulated otherwise. Logic puzzles boost brain activity, encourage systematic thinking, build confidence, reduce boredom, and so much more.

Originally Posted here: https://amazeottawa.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-puzzles/