Puzzles are well and truly BACK. For kids and grown-ups alike, not only are they a welcome break from the digital world, but they’re also great to do with friends, family (pets – not so much) and even colleagues. There are also numerous wellness angles to the experience, including exercising motor skills and general brain-training, as well as creating a space for relaxation and zoning out, and then the ultimate satisfaction derived from persisting through to the end…
National Puzzle Day (29 Jan) has us excited all over again for some of the unique and wonderful puzzles coming this Spring, so we’ve put together a little round-up of eight that have caught our eye.
1. Little Scientist 500 Piece Family Puzzle
The Little Feminist range from Galison Mudpuppy, illustrated by Lydia Ortiz, captured hearts in 2017. Since then, they’ve launched Little Scientist and Little Artist. The Little Scientist 500 Piece Family Puzzle is out this February and comprised of colourfully illustrated portraits of real people who have a made a historical impact on the world with science – from Albert Einstein to Marie Curie and many more!
2. Cat Zodiac 500 Piece Puzzle
The Cat Zodiac book, originally published in 2016, is now also a puzzle with illustrated feline friend im-purr-sonating the zodiac in a 500 Piece Puzzle! It had us at ‘Cat’.
3. Gray Malin The Snow and The Beach Two-Sided Puzzles
Meet Gray Malin’s awe-inspiring aerial photography in Two-Sided Puzzle form…
With one puzzle depicting snowy scenes, and the other depicting the beach, these are a great new opportunity to enjoy Malin’s incredible work.
4. Blooming Books 750 Piece Shaped Puzzle
British artist Ben Giles is a rising star in the art world, inspired by nature, form and fantasy. This is just one of several puzzles and products in his new range for Galison. It’s a unique shaped puzzle, with a colourful hand-cut paper flower and butterfly collage bursting from an open book.
5. Bibliophile Book Club Darlings 1000 Piece Puzzle
Another book-themed puzzle (we like books), this time from the Bibliophile range, created by Jane Mount of Ideal Bookshelf. It’s an 1000 piece puzzle of Book Club darlings, from Room to The Kite Runner and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
6. Astrology 1000 Piece Foil Puzzle
The gorgeous colours and foil on this puzzle have had us entranced. The twelve signs of the zodiac take on cosmic sparkle and there’s an inset featuring fun astrological facts.
7. Moon 100 Piece Puzzle 
We’re staying in space for this one from Chronicle Books, in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing this year. This circular puzzle is out this March and features photography from the archives of NASA.
8. London Map 1000 Piece Puzzle
We couldn’t not include this Galison puzzle, depicting somewhere a little closer to home. Illustrated by Hennie Haworth, the London Map 1000 Piece Puzzle shows some of the city’s most famous sites and landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Albert Hall and many more.
Puzzled? Which would you complete first?
If we’ve got you in the mood, check out the huge puzzle selection on the website now…