Jigsaw Puzzle Strategies

Let’s say you lay out a jigsaw puzzle in a vacation rental. You wonder how hard it is to get a family to go into full OCD puzzle mode for 24 solid hours until the last piece is snuggled into place. You decide to study my family unit.

I’d say your odds are good, but the goods are odd. No one ever accused any of my immediate relations of being within shouting distance of normal. Thank God, that would be boring. My father, for example, spent the entire first day of our vacation in an outfit comprised entirely of green spandex. Green socks, green bike shorts, green bike shirt, green hat. All green, but varying in their shade of fluorescence.

He had an outfit change for dinner and emerged in full-on red, white and blue. No one commented on any of these style choices, however. Pop's fashion sensibilities haven't altered much in the past forty years. At this point, we'd all get worried if he showed up anywhere in a navy blue polo and khakis. 

Pop was odd man out, however, when it came to the  jigsaw puzzle. He refused to participate. He said he was super busy with his new hobby - picking locks. Or possibly the adorable picture on the puzzle just was not his scene. There were fluffy puppies and a kitty and a hamster and bird all cuddly on a pretty park bench with pink flowers.

My niece is twelve. She influenced the puzzle selection. 

Puzzle completed by the fambo in record time.

I’ve noticed that different people attack jigsaw puzzles with different styles that are not always compatible. Personally, I think it’s standard procedure to all sit around the table chatting and working on a section of the puzzle. Like, by yourself. Maybe with some high fiving when you get a piece or inappropriate language when you don't. It is possible there is periodic collaboration, but it's on a case-by-case basis.

I’m not a fan of the group approach to jigsaw puzzling which I have seen attempted on various occasions in the past. This is the technique where one person narrates what they are looking for. Like for example, “We need a piece over here that is a little brownish-grey with some red and pink on the one side. And a tiny bit of green.” 

I’m not exactly sure what is supposed to happen next with this group approach. If I were to speculate, I’d assume Step 2 as follows: All participants look around for pieces that may or may not meet the description. Then they hand their potential fits to the Verbal Describer of Puzzle Pieces (VDPP). Wherein, the VDPP tries each piece in succession while everyone else sits there watching. Probably drinking. 

Oh that’s it. Now I get it. This is the best way to put together a puzzle if 6 out of 7 in the puzzle pit crew have a mojito in their hand. You can easily participate by simply chucking a few candidate pieces across the table every now and then. Silly me, I often fail spot golden opportunities to let someone else pursue my leisure activities on my behalf.

Below, I posted a handy link in case you too want to purchase this puzzle so you can stay up till all hours putting it together long after your niece who you bought it for went to bed: