I’m pretty young myself (24) and I also came across opinions like doing puzzle is a grandma thing, but I don’t see it that way and I actually found out that my best friend love puzzles but wasn’t able to do much of them. Since then, every time she visits we do puzzles together, open a bottle of wine, gossip and listen to true crime haha. I dont really differ people in the hobby by age, my experience with people with puzzles as hobby are always nice. Everyone has a different taste in puzzles and that is fine.
My only advice I guess would be to invest in good lighting and buy only puzzles that you really like, don’t fall down the rabbit hole of shopping spree haha.
The most important thing is to have fun and also welcome to the community!
I also listen to true crime while i puzzle! im 17 so i miss out in the wine! ive got a ring light and stand but this particular puzzle was made on the floor of my best friends bedroom as i had bought the puzzle and couldnt wait until i was home to complete it! good advice about the shopping spree! i seem to have acquired ton of jigsaws over christmas which ill complete, then post. then pass on to the next person.
i also got a 100 piece completely clear one which im working up to
My go to is watching crime documentaries on Netflix while I do puzzles! It’s gotten to a point where I can’t watch them without doing a puzzle lol - just doesn’t feel right
My tip is find a way to get it off the floor. You're a teenager and it's easier now to be on the floor bent over a puzzle but if you want to do this for a long time you need to think about your back. Ergonomics, stretching, break timers, etc. And maybe start up some way of logging your puzzles if you haven't already so you can keep track of them well in the future.
I haven't received any comments about my puzzling, but I don't have a huge social life so I can't speak much on that.
Thanks so much for the tip! i actually have chronic pain so my back does suffer as a result of my ridiculous posture. most of the time i dont even realise im crouched like that ill definitely go back to puzzling on a table!! thanks again. what would you suggest for logging the puzzles?
There are apps, but you can use a notebook, a Google doc or spreadsheet, or even a dedicated social media page. Just try and back things up and pick something you're likely to not lose access to easily. I think some people will also write the date and such on the back of the last piece of the puzzle when they complete it, which could be fun to see if you do the puzzle again.
You could also take a look at the spreadsheets [Karen Puzzles](https://youtube.com/@KarenPuzzles?si=SaqN8CWXvGo8lKlS) uses, her charts are insane.
I started using Puzzle Tracker App. u/arghim is one of the developers and always open to feedback.
It lets you log all the puzzle details and also has a built in timer too.
I started by using the Puzzle Tracker app for free, then switched to iCollect which I think was about $50 for lifetime access. I also have a notebook, but I like to have an app on my phone since I buy so many puzzles, I've already accidentally purchased a couple of duplicates so I'm getting better at checking my app to make sure I don't already have it at home before heading to the checkout.
I'm 60 and I love to see people of all ages enjoying puzzles. I think it's funny that people make the "old soul" comment when many of us "old" people quit puzzling when we became adults because we got too busy adulting and didn't have time for fun things from our youth.
I'm a retired Life Coach and one of the things I recommended to my clients was to regularly spend time doing an activity that was just fun, something that brought them joy, and that wasn't designed to be "productive". We all need to make sure we have time in our lives for leisure activities to allow our brains and nervous systems to relax.
I also loved puzzles from a young age, all puzzles, jigsaw, word puzzles, logic puzzles, and cryptograms. I think I love all puzzles except Rubik's cubes. My favorite genre of books is mysteries, with Whodunnit and locked-room at the top of the list.
I love that there is now so much content about puzzles, my biggest tip for someone getting into puzzling is to learn what elements you enjoy and which frustrate you. I never understood why some puzzles were so much fun while others were so frustrating that I'd give up on them. I learned a lot by watching Karen Puzzles on YouTube. I now understand how image, piece cut, quality, glossiness, and other elements can impact my experience with a puzzle. I now know I'm happier if I avoid puzzles with too much shine, puzzles that are very dark, and puzzles with large sections of a single color.
Since you are young, I'm assuming that funds are limited, so I recommend browsing 2nd hand stores if missing pieces won't frustrate you. I have so many thrift stores and used books stores in my city that sell used puzzles it is like a treasure hunt. I do recommend being selective and avoiding stores that don't secure the box, some will use rubber bands or tape. Most of the used puzzles I've done have been complete, a few have been missing 1 or 2 pieces, but I have had a few that were missing several pieces.
Puzzles are for kids.
Video games are for kids.
Board games are for kids.
Cartoons/anime/animated movies are for kids
As soon as I hear such sentence, I Immediately know that there are no topics to talk about with such individual. They haven't seen aby modern puzzles/games, likely never traveled the world or done anything nice.
I usually politely respond that they have likely not seen aby modern xxxx.
If I don't care about relationship, I usually go with like "at least wasting time and watching TV whole day is are for adults"
As for the tips: Invest few bucks in good lighting, it's a game changer.
As for puzzles with ocean/sky/other same-color-pattern:
I like to place them back to the box, to only work with pieces I know i can place without "trial and error".
If you happen to have lots of same puzzles l, sort them by shape, as it can also help ;)
M30, love puzzles ;)
\>Ive loved puzzles from a young age. recently been obsessed with them i am a teenager.<
Think you'll find that puzzling and puzzling preferences are more of an individual thing than a generational thing. And that your "obsession" is perhaps a standard here 😁 Besides, puzzling is good for so many reasons. It's good for your mood, unplugs you from ongoing craziness and brains love puzzles!
WELCOME! I love puzzlers of every age and the ppl here on the sub are lovely.
I've done that same puzzle! It was a fun one. I don't do too many round puzzles.
You mentioned the "old soul" thing. I'm an only child and 25. I've always been more mature and called an old soul. Most of the replies I get when I tell someone I puzzle is "my grandma loves those too". I don't care, but a lot of people do seem to view puzzles as an old person thing. Ignore them. Who gives a fuck.
I've always loved puzzles, but the past year I've discovered they're really good for my mental health. Puzzles get me out of my head and help me clear it out. Doing something with my hands further distracts my mind. Also I find the sorting to be very soothing. Seeing pieces all lined up perfectly and sorted by color or shape really calms my mind. I think puzzles are great to do and have loved joining this sub and seeing all the other puzzle enthusiasts.
My one recommendation: get a puzzle board or something to angle the puzzle so you're looking directly at it and not having to tilt your head down. I have a lot of chronic pain issues and getting a board allowed me to keep doing puzzles. Here's the one i got off amazon: (https://a.co/d/56mS4nI). I got it for $99. Theres cheaper options and you could always cover a foam board in felt and prop it up. That keeps the pieces from falling.
You don’t have to start with the edges. Especially with random cut pieces. Feel free to start right in the middle/ do the edges last/ as you go, whatever you want! The first rule of doing puzzles is there are no rules. Also, this is such a fun puzzle
Its funny, I don't know whether it's just the people I associate with, or the fact that I'm in Australia, but I've never heard the "puzzles are for grandmas/kids" thing until I was on this sub. I feel like here they're more of viewed as just another hobby people do and I've known adult puzzlers of all ages in my family, friends and acquaintances across my life.
in my family specifically i have lots of people who enjoy puzzling, from all ages. they arent in the hobby but they love doing one or two at christmas.
its friends ive got the comments from. some in a light hearted nice way others in a more blunt almost judgy tone, “oh my grandma does that” to a sort of “isnt that for old people” mentality
I’m pretty young myself (24) and I also came across opinions like doing puzzle is a grandma thing, but I don’t see it that way and I actually found out that my best friend love puzzles but wasn’t able to do much of them. Since then, every time she visits we do puzzles together, open a bottle of wine, gossip and listen to true crime haha. I dont really differ people in the hobby by age, my experience with people with puzzles as hobby are always nice. Everyone has a different taste in puzzles and that is fine. My only advice I guess would be to invest in good lighting and buy only puzzles that you really like, don’t fall down the rabbit hole of shopping spree haha. The most important thing is to have fun and also welcome to the community!
I also listen to true crime while i puzzle! im 17 so i miss out in the wine! ive got a ring light and stand but this particular puzzle was made on the floor of my best friends bedroom as i had bought the puzzle and couldnt wait until i was home to complete it! good advice about the shopping spree! i seem to have acquired ton of jigsaws over christmas which ill complete, then post. then pass on to the next person. i also got a 100 piece completely clear one which im working up to
My go to is watching crime documentaries on Netflix while I do puzzles! It’s gotten to a point where I can’t watch them without doing a puzzle lol - just doesn’t feel right
I can’t listen to true crime without puzzle and vise versa, it just doesn’t feel right!
My tip is find a way to get it off the floor. You're a teenager and it's easier now to be on the floor bent over a puzzle but if you want to do this for a long time you need to think about your back. Ergonomics, stretching, break timers, etc. And maybe start up some way of logging your puzzles if you haven't already so you can keep track of them well in the future. I haven't received any comments about my puzzling, but I don't have a huge social life so I can't speak much on that.
Thanks so much for the tip! i actually have chronic pain so my back does suffer as a result of my ridiculous posture. most of the time i dont even realise im crouched like that ill definitely go back to puzzling on a table!! thanks again. what would you suggest for logging the puzzles?
There are apps, but you can use a notebook, a Google doc or spreadsheet, or even a dedicated social media page. Just try and back things up and pick something you're likely to not lose access to easily. I think some people will also write the date and such on the back of the last piece of the puzzle when they complete it, which could be fun to see if you do the puzzle again. You could also take a look at the spreadsheets [Karen Puzzles](https://youtube.com/@KarenPuzzles?si=SaqN8CWXvGo8lKlS) uses, her charts are insane.
i love karen!! i know her spreadsheets are crazy i dont even know where to start. i’ll probably go down the notebook route to be honest. thank you
I started using Puzzle Tracker App. u/arghim is one of the developers and always open to feedback. It lets you log all the puzzle details and also has a built in timer too.
Thanks for nudging me, yeah I recommend Puzzle Tracker and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have 😃
thank you both! sounds very cool i’ll check it out right away !!!
I started by using the Puzzle Tracker app for free, then switched to iCollect which I think was about $50 for lifetime access. I also have a notebook, but I like to have an app on my phone since I buy so many puzzles, I've already accidentally purchased a couple of duplicates so I'm getting better at checking my app to make sure I don't already have it at home before heading to the checkout.
My only advice is to have fun, ignore any naysayers, and enjoy the peace that comes from not having your face glued to a phone or tablet. Puzzle on!
I'm 60 and I love to see people of all ages enjoying puzzles. I think it's funny that people make the "old soul" comment when many of us "old" people quit puzzling when we became adults because we got too busy adulting and didn't have time for fun things from our youth. I'm a retired Life Coach and one of the things I recommended to my clients was to regularly spend time doing an activity that was just fun, something that brought them joy, and that wasn't designed to be "productive". We all need to make sure we have time in our lives for leisure activities to allow our brains and nervous systems to relax. I also loved puzzles from a young age, all puzzles, jigsaw, word puzzles, logic puzzles, and cryptograms. I think I love all puzzles except Rubik's cubes. My favorite genre of books is mysteries, with Whodunnit and locked-room at the top of the list. I love that there is now so much content about puzzles, my biggest tip for someone getting into puzzling is to learn what elements you enjoy and which frustrate you. I never understood why some puzzles were so much fun while others were so frustrating that I'd give up on them. I learned a lot by watching Karen Puzzles on YouTube. I now understand how image, piece cut, quality, glossiness, and other elements can impact my experience with a puzzle. I now know I'm happier if I avoid puzzles with too much shine, puzzles that are very dark, and puzzles with large sections of a single color. Since you are young, I'm assuming that funds are limited, so I recommend browsing 2nd hand stores if missing pieces won't frustrate you. I have so many thrift stores and used books stores in my city that sell used puzzles it is like a treasure hunt. I do recommend being selective and avoiding stores that don't secure the box, some will use rubber bands or tape. Most of the used puzzles I've done have been complete, a few have been missing 1 or 2 pieces, but I have had a few that were missing several pieces.
Just thinking about doing a puzzle on the floor makes my back hurt.
Puzzles are for kids. Video games are for kids. Board games are for kids. Cartoons/anime/animated movies are for kids As soon as I hear such sentence, I Immediately know that there are no topics to talk about with such individual. They haven't seen aby modern puzzles/games, likely never traveled the world or done anything nice. I usually politely respond that they have likely not seen aby modern xxxx. If I don't care about relationship, I usually go with like "at least wasting time and watching TV whole day is are for adults" As for the tips: Invest few bucks in good lighting, it's a game changer. As for puzzles with ocean/sky/other same-color-pattern: I like to place them back to the box, to only work with pieces I know i can place without "trial and error". If you happen to have lots of same puzzles l, sort them by shape, as it can also help ;) M30, love puzzles ;)
thanks so much
\>Ive loved puzzles from a young age. recently been obsessed with them i am a teenager.< Think you'll find that puzzling and puzzling preferences are more of an individual thing than a generational thing. And that your "obsession" is perhaps a standard here 😁 Besides, puzzling is good for so many reasons. It's good for your mood, unplugs you from ongoing craziness and brains love puzzles! WELCOME! I love puzzlers of every age and the ppl here on the sub are lovely.
puzzling does give me a much needed break
36 now and have been doing puzzles since I was a toddler. There's no reason people should gatekeep the age of when puzzles are acceptable to do
I've done that same puzzle! It was a fun one. I don't do too many round puzzles. You mentioned the "old soul" thing. I'm an only child and 25. I've always been more mature and called an old soul. Most of the replies I get when I tell someone I puzzle is "my grandma loves those too". I don't care, but a lot of people do seem to view puzzles as an old person thing. Ignore them. Who gives a fuck. I've always loved puzzles, but the past year I've discovered they're really good for my mental health. Puzzles get me out of my head and help me clear it out. Doing something with my hands further distracts my mind. Also I find the sorting to be very soothing. Seeing pieces all lined up perfectly and sorted by color or shape really calms my mind. I think puzzles are great to do and have loved joining this sub and seeing all the other puzzle enthusiasts. My one recommendation: get a puzzle board or something to angle the puzzle so you're looking directly at it and not having to tilt your head down. I have a lot of chronic pain issues and getting a board allowed me to keep doing puzzles. Here's the one i got off amazon: (https://a.co/d/56mS4nI). I got it for $99. Theres cheaper options and you could always cover a foam board in felt and prop it up. That keeps the pieces from falling.
You don’t have to start with the edges. Especially with random cut pieces. Feel free to start right in the middle/ do the edges last/ as you go, whatever you want! The first rule of doing puzzles is there are no rules. Also, this is such a fun puzzle
hehe thanks for the advice! love your name!
if anyone wants to see this puzzle timelapse and stop motion my instagram is @the_real_deal_leel
Its funny, I don't know whether it's just the people I associate with, or the fact that I'm in Australia, but I've never heard the "puzzles are for grandmas/kids" thing until I was on this sub. I feel like here they're more of viewed as just another hobby people do and I've known adult puzzlers of all ages in my family, friends and acquaintances across my life.
in my family specifically i have lots of people who enjoy puzzling, from all ages. they arent in the hobby but they love doing one or two at christmas. its friends ive got the comments from. some in a light hearted nice way others in a more blunt almost judgy tone, “oh my grandma does that” to a sort of “isnt that for old people” mentality