Origins of Popular Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are widely enjoyed by many for two main reasons. They are engaging, making for ideal pastimes. At the same time, they call for logical thinking and stimulate the mind. Kids and adults alike can appreciate puzzle games – it’s no wonder that several have become classics throughout the years. The following is a look at these popular puzzle games and where they came from.
Jigsaw puzzles. The inventor of the jigsaw puzzle was Englishman John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker. He created the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767, when he attached a map of the world to a piece of wood and cut out each country. Teachers used Spilsbury’s puzzles to teach geography – students would learn by putting the world maps back together. The name “jigsaw puzzle” was not given until 1880, although puzzles were cut by a fretsaw and not a jigsaw.
Rubik’s Cube. This mechanical puzzle was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toy shops. In early 1980, the puzzle made its international debut at toy fairs. The Ideal Toy Company renamed it “Rubik’s Cube” in 1980. The Rubik’s Cube is said to be the world’s best-selling toy.
Crossword puzzles. The first crossword puzzle was a “word-cross” puzzle published in the New York World on December 21, 1913, by Liverpool journalist Arthur Wynne. The name of the puzzle was later changed to “crossword”, and it became a regular weekly feature in the New York World. The first book of crossword puzzles appeared in 1924, which became an instant hit. Crossword puzzles were the craze of 1924.
Sudoku. In the 18th century, Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler developed the concept of Latin squares, where numbers in a grid appear exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. In the late 1970s, Dell Magazines in the US began publishing Sudoku puzzles using Euler’s concept with a 9 by 9 square grid. The puzzle was called Number Place then, and it was developed by Howard Garnes. In the mid-1980s, Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, Inc. published a version of the puzzle, which became very popular in Japan. It was also Nikoli that gave Sudoku its current name. British and US newspapers began publishing their own Sudoku puzzles in 2005.
Related Sudoku Resources
Get Your Children Hooked On Sudoku Jigsaw Puzzle Books
Parents are getting very concerned with their children’s growing obsessions. Children are now spending endless hours watching television and then to sitting on the computer chatting away on emails, webcams and social network sites. So what can a parent do to distract their children?
Get Them Hooked On Sudoku
There are some addictions that are actually very helpful and educational. Take for example the present day addiction to Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books which are sweeping the globe. This is one addiction that can take your child away from the television and computer and can actually be of great help to your child’s development of problem solving and logic.
Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books offer children of all ages and even adults many advantages. Those who play Sudoku regularly find that their mind is sharper; they can solve problems easier than before and are more patient when the solution is not exactly in sight.
Puzzles are games that have always fascinated children and so for a parent it is easy to introduce the Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books to them. It is hard for a child to resist the challenge and in no time they will be addicted to these incredible puzzles. Children who play Sudoku have a greater logic and deduction skills because of the need to use logic to solve the puzzles, this opens ups other spheres of their lives.
Where Do You Find Sudoku Jigsaw Puzzle Books For Children?
Most bookstores have a good collection of Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books but when you want a wide variety to choose from you could always go on the Internet. You could choose one set or a series of Sudoku books that increase in complexity over time prompting the children to develop their skills gradually.
If you like to create your own you can find tutorials on the internet that will help you make your own puzzles. There are also software packages that can help you create the puzzles with a click of the mouse from scratch if you do not have the time to create your own.
Lastly, your local library generally have a good selection of Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books where you can borrowed and return the books once you have completed them. It is wise though to photo copy the Sudoku games before giving them to your child as you do not want them to write in the books and spoil the fun for other players.
Related Sudoku Resources
Get Your Children Hooked On Sudoku Jigsaw Puzzle Books
Parents are getting very concerned with their children’s growing obsessions. Children are now spending endless hours watching television and then to sitting on the computer chatting away on emails, webcams and social network sites. So what can a parent do to distract their children?
Get Them Hooked On Sudoku
There are some addictions that are actually very helpful and educational. Take for example the present day addiction to Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books which are sweeping the globe. This is one addiction that can take your child away from the television and computer and can actually be of great help to your child’s development of problem solving and logic.
Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books offer children of all ages and even adults many advantages. Those who play Sudoku regularly find that their mind is sharper; they can solve problems easier than before and are more patient when the solution is not exactly in sight.
Puzzles are games that have always fascinated children and so for a parent it is easy to introduce the Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books to them. It is hard for a child to resist the challenge and in no time they will be addicted to these incredible puzzles. Children who play Sudoku have a greater logic and deduction skills because of the need to use logic to solve the puzzles, this opens ups other spheres of their lives.
Where Do You Find Sudoku Jigsaw Puzzle Books For Children?
Most bookstores have a good collection of Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books but when you want a wide variety to choose from you could always go on the Internet. You could choose one set or a series of Sudoku books that increase in complexity over time prompting the children to develop their skills gradually.
If you like to create your own you can find tutorials on the internet that will help you make your own puzzles. There are also software packages that can help you create the puzzles with a click of the mouse from scratch if you do not have the time to create your own.
Lastly, your local library generally have a good selection of Sudoku jigsaw puzzle books where you can borrowed and return the books once you have completed them. It is wise though to photo copy the Sudoku games before giving them to your child as you do not want them to write in the books and spoil the fun for other players.
