Puzzles: Brain Food

My grandmother is really into doing puzzles.  She most always has one going at a little table with a couple of chairs, by the window in her living room at her little place.  She lives in en elderly complex, and she has lots of friends around the complex too.  She gets out a lot, with my aunt especially (her only daughter of 5 kids), who she spends lots of time with.  When my grandmother’s friends stop by, they often sit and work on the puzzle going at the time,  while they chat.  My father (her son) also spends quite a bit if time with her, and so he works on her puzzles with her too.

My father often picks up new puzzles for my grandmother, when he sees one he thinks she’ll like in a store here or there.  He picked this Esphera 540 piece Sphere Puzzle up for her, thinking it was something different to try.  But he said they couldn’t figure it out.  I think more than anything, it takes some steady hands, and extra-patience. None-the-less, they all gave up, and so he brought it down to our house for the kids. He said, “I don’t know, we couldn’t figure it out. If anyone can, you kids will. “   Well, that sounds like an exciting challenge to our kids.  They wasted no time taking it on.

It is a puzzle that is a bit more complicated.  At first glance, the pieces look typical of any other puzzle.  Although they are plastic, and have a slight curve to them.

But the backsides are where they really differ.   They all have a little number on them, from 1-540, which is of course, how many pieces are part of this puzzle.   This is where our 7 year olds were able to help the most.   They  grouped the numbered puzzle pieces into their proper hundreds:  100′s, 200′s, 300′s, 400′s and 500′s.  And then got them more so in order from there.

But {A}, the oldest, really did most of the assembly.  You would think the numbers on the back of the pieces, really give away quite a bit, as to what pieces go where.  But if you think about it, each piece connects to at least 4 others.  So number sequence is hardly at play at all times.

It really is quite a tricky thing, to connect them just right too, as there is no table or hard surface, to press down on.   So in addition to the typical challenges of a puzzle, you don’t have a photo of the puzzle on all sides for this spherical one.  Of course, you do have the numbers to help guide you somewhat.  Still, it does take some focus and attention.

It’s a proven fact, that puzzles are good for one’s brain.  EHow (.com) offers these facts about why puzzles are so good for your brain:

The brain is a highly complex machine that constantly forms and reinforces connections between its 100 billion cells. Performing mental exercises, such as puzzles, can help form new connections and boost long-term mental performance.

Making Connections

Connections between brain cells, and in turn the ability of each neuron to chemically signal the 10,000 or so other cells   it connects with, are what form memories.

Strengthening Connections

Memory retrieval and the ability to process new information is associated with brain health. Puzzles can help with both of these important brain functions by strengthening the connections between brain cells.

Giving Your Brain a Work Out

Just as you exercise to build and maintain muscle mass, you can also strengthen your brain by exercising it. Engaging in problem solving exercises creates new connections in the brain while strengthening old ones.

Use It or Lose It

If you don’t give your brain a solid work out, your mental strength starts to deteriorate. As you age, it is important to keep your brain fit through routine exercises.

Continued Importance Throughout Life

According to one study in the Journal of the America Medical Association, elderly people who strengthened their synapses through ten sessions of brain-boosting exercises showed improvement in memory, reasoning skills and mental processing, “well beyond the specific skills the volunteers learned.”

So we can only assume, that puzzles are a great mental exercise, for our kids.  Or anyone, at any age.  I’m thinking with all of benefits for our brain, I could really stand to join my kids doing a puzzle, or 1,000.  Perhaps the younger kids start enjoying puzzles, the more their brains can benefit from them.    I think I’ll be encouraging doing more puzzles for my own kids, as an activity for those rainy days, or an after-dinner wind down before they settle into bed for the night.   I already know that they love to do crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and the more structural type.  For those of you with younger kids, I found this list of puzzle links for beginners, that you may find helpful.

By the way, there are several spherical designs available if you go to the links and look at the sliding bar, including this earth globe one, that is, of course, a great geography lesson as well.

All in all, I think the likely perks of doing puzzles now and then, can be great for anyone.  If nothing else, it’s a leisure and relaxing activity, that exercises patience and persistence as well.   But the brain studies all seem to make a whole lot of sense to me.  After all, my grandmother is 93 now.  Granted, she is facing lots of challenges people her age do.  But I can tell you, her brain is surely not one of her issues.  Her brain is certainly in tip-top shape. And it’s no puzzle now, why that may be.