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Puzzles: Top 10 Secret Benefits

Here is skinny on the super-secret Top 10: Benefits

Here at SiamMandalay, we love puzzles - you will regularly hear us shouting from the roof tops about their benefits. 

We wanted to make a small list, that wasn't scholarly, scientific or didactic showing there are real world benefits to playing with puzzles, which can help everyone!

1. Improved memory: Remembering steps, moves and pieces that have been used and not replicating them and, remembering strategies, moves and techniques that did work and developing them further.

2. Improved logical thinking: Hypothesizing and formulating about moves or steps and what procedure - working up to thinking about an increasing number of moves. Organizing your strategies thoughtfully and applying them – most types of puzzles have a central strategy that can be applied gain and again.

3. Obtaining feedback: Making decisions, planning and making choices and then getting feedback on your choices, both positive and negative. Then basing your future decisions on that feedback.

4. Goal Setting: Move-by-move you are constantly evaluating what you need to do to go forward. Nobody likes a half-finished puzzle, so you are encouraged to drive on and see it through. Puzzles also present every increasing challenge, going from small and basic to highly complex, so you can always move up or down the ladder.

5. Patience and perseverance: You know you are in for the long haul, but you keep working towards your goal, constantly tweaking – puzzles offer a positive feedback loop, when you make progress, you get the “aha moment” which reaffirms your pursuit.

6. Problem solving: Solving puzzles is in essence finding the solution to a problem. By working on puzzles, you can train your brain to look for complex solutions think creatively and out the box. You can take this skill and apply across your work and personal life - we need problem solvers.

7. Prioritizing: Working in a sequence, evaluating the situation and seeing what needs to be done first. The better you get at evaluating, segmenting and prioritizing the more efficient you will be with your time. Eliminating elements and grouping elements together to make the whole process, more efficient. It’s fantastic practice for work and play.

8. Spatial orientation: This one is a biggie; it’s used in virtually every math-based job and is not taught in schools. It’s the ability to think about a three-dimensional object in your mind and rotate it - making moves in your head before actively doing it.

9.Sharing behavior and social skills: Puzzles and games are cross generational, which is one of their beauties. They can create powerful bonds between people and shows the benefits of good teamwork when people work towards a common goal. 

10. Gross and fine motor skills: Most notably motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination can be practiced. This is typically through block games (like Jenga) and jigsaws, careful placing of pieces is useful for fine motor skills which helps with clear handwriting and diligent finger work in instrument playing. Share some time with your family and friends playing puzzles and games. They are an enjoyable activity which builds skills and enables.