As the weather gets cooler, I start taking stock of my puzzle stash. We’re long-time avid puzzlers during the winter months and I like to have a variety of designs and difficulty levels on hand. Not only that, puzzles make great gifts. There are plenty of amazing puzzles out there, now more than ever. (Do you remember the early pandemic days when puzzles were suddenly nearly as in-demand as toilet paper? Their popularity has only increased since then!)
If you’re looking for a little something extra to accompany the gift of a puzzle, consider a puzzle mat. A mat or other large flat surface makes it easy to move puzzles-in-progress from the table to somewhere out of the way. It also helps prevent curious pets from finding a trail of pieces on the floor to steal or chew on. My family uses a bulletin board, to Daisy’s chagrin. (Only because she thinks cardboard is DELICIOUS.)
Here’s a roundup of puzzles that are sure to bring hours of delight. If you find yourself thanking the winter weather for giving you an excuse to stay inside and puzzle away, I won’t blame you.
All puzzles featured here were chosen because we love them. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. More info here.
Holiday puzzles
Galison Merry Moonlight Skaters 500 Piece Foil Puzzle. A cheery scene with ice skaters, skyscrapers, and snow. The foil accents are so pretty.
Puzzles of Color Comfort & Joy 500 Piece Puzzle. I’ve heard these puzzles make great keepsakes! This would be a great gift for Christmas or Kwanzaa.
Family Snow Day Personalized 200 Piece Puzzle. Speaking of keepsakes, this customizable illustration of your family and pets will be a keeper. It includes your family name and the year etched into the frame.
Liberty Snowflake 137 Piece Puzzle. We are hardcore Liberty fans around here. Liberty’s wooden pieces are cut into the shapes of characters, animals, and geometric designs. The pieces of this beautiful snowflake include skiers and mini snowflakes.
Galison Michael Storrings 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar Puzzle. Work on one 80 piece puzzle a day for the 12 days of Christmas.
EuroGraphics Christmas Ornaments 1000 Piece Puzzle. I almost want to count how many ornaments are pictured here…
Bookish puzzles
Laurence King Publishing The World of Jane Austen 1000 Piece Puzzle. Go on a tour of Austen’s world and characters with this unique puzzle.
Galison Book Haven 1000 Piece Puzzle. What a cheerful bookshop! I want to go there.
Cobble Hill Nancy Drew 1000 Piece Puzzle. Nancy Drew covers bring back good childhood memories.
True South Literary Classics 500 Piece Puzzle. A puzzle map of well-known literary homes and neighborhoods, filled with all kinds of fun details, right down to the street names.
White Mountain Puzzles Rare Book Store 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Anyone else wish they could browse the shelves? It looks so cozy!
Cobble Hill The Cat Library 1000 Piece Puzzle. Books and cats make purrfect companions. The bookshelves are from a real bookstore: Russell Books in Victoria, BC.
Plants, Flowers, and the Outdoors puzzles
Pick Me Up Gardening 500 Pieces. Can I put a greenhouse on my Christmas list? Such a lovely backyard.
Pomegranate Hiroo Isono: Full Bloom 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Stunning spring blooms!
Cavallini & Co Vintage Succulents 1000 Piece Puzzle. Not only are Cavallini & Co. puzzles beautifully designed, they come in a cute container. This vintage-styled botanical poster will help you identify all manner of succulents.
State Flower USA Map Puzzle 275 Piece Puzzle. Learn the state flowers with this colorfully hand-drawn puzzle.
Galison Plant Shelfie 1000 Piece Puzzle. Basically the perfect puzzle for me.
Geode Puzzle. This looks like a beautiful challenge! There are 160-180 pieces, depending on which color geode you choose.
EuroGraphics Butchart Gardens – Sunken Garden 1000 Piece Puzzle. Now I want to visit this garden in person someday.
Galison The Beachcomber’s Companion 1000 Piece Puzzle. All the shells! Plus, 20 pieces are die-cut in the shape of the shell.
Destinations puzzles
Charley Harper Glacier Bay 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Charley Harper’s designs are whimsical and fun. I love this take on Glacier Bay.
True South Kentucky State 500 Piece Puzzle. We frequently give Kentucky puzzles to friends who have moved away. True South has designs for every state.
White Mountain Golden Gate Bridge 1000 Piece Puzzle. It really is one of the world’s most beautiful bridges.
eeBoo London Life 1000 Piece Puzzle. Great illustration—it looks like a fun one for my whole family to work on.
EuroGraphics Venice Rialto Bridge 1000 Piece Puzzle. This is a dreamy scene.
Do you have any recent puzzles you recommend? I’d love to hear about your favorite puzzles in the comments.
P.S. 25 delightfully distracting jigsaw puzzles to occupy your mind and boost your mood, 16 jigsaw puzzles to brighten up your winter days, plus 20 favorite board games to beat the rainy day (or chilly day) blues.
29 comments
I also like the pricey but exceptional Wentworth Puzzles. One of the things I like about some of the Galison puzzles is that when you look closely, the people come in different colors, just like in our world!
I’m also a big fan of Wentworth puzzles. Love their whimsy pieces!
I love the bulletin board idea. This sounds much better than what’ve have used In the past! Thanks Anne
I love the idea of the bulletin board to hold puzzles!
I also love the Wentworth puzzles – when I’m up for a challenge.
I have quite a few of the Ravensburger Cozy puzzles – easy, relaxing. My favorites.
I love the vintage travel poster puzzles and the book puzzles here:
https://www.galison.com/products/bibliophile-book-club-darlings-1000-piece-puzzle?currency=USD&variant=18392945983584&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA7dKMBhBCEiwAO_crFHQp_-UzDTElLSgj64cP1IGfp6uPc5pn8ROiRLr08b9lhYA8-IQ2dBoCnfMQAvD_BwE
And this one:
https://www.puzzlewarehouse.com/vintage-atlas-1000-pieces-by-re-marks/?caid=239&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgt-f2dqf9AIV9T6tBh1UrAiIEAYYBSABEgJiWPD_BwE
I just purchased some Wentworth puzzles for our family Christmas season Beautiful wood puzzles with “whimsy” pieces, made in UK. I have just received delivery from the UK in less than 2 weeks in a box which was a bit of a puzzle to open. A variety of designs – from an abstract Santa to silly Christmas cats to an illustration from
a mysterious, unknown storybook. They have 25-30 piece puzzles packaged as Christmas crackers for each place at the dinner table, and many of a favorite image can be ordered in 250 – 500 – 1000 piece sizes. As jigsaw puzzles go they are expensive, but so wellmade and boxed. Highly recommended!
This Jane Austen one was so fun! They also have a Dickens one like it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1786279118?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
PS – l also love the round 500 piece puzzles from eeBoo, woman-owned since 1994, certified WBENC and the more unusual designs of Re-marks, Inc.
I just picked up Sandra Boynton’s “Hidden Cows” 1000 piece puzzle (Workman Publishing). I haven’t started it yet, but her illustrations are so much fun, and the reviews on the quality of the puzzle were great.
Check out the Magic Puzzle Company. You can get all three puzzles they currently have available on Amazon for about $60. These are good quality but also really amazing! The details are fantastic and there’s a surprise at the end of each one, some kind of “magic” ending.
I somehow had never heard of the puzzle map, but you have just solved a problem for me! We have a 3.5yo and a soon-to-be-1yo so having a puzzle out on the table is just not practical! The 3.5yo would surely get into it and walk off with pieces. So I have been doing jigsaw puzzles on my phone at night which are surprisingly satisfying, but not the same as putting a puzzle together. But that puzzle map solves this problem! I have several puzzles in my closet that I thought I wouldn’t be able to touch for like 4+ years! So thank you!
Oooooh the Jane Austen puzzle and the Book Store puzzle look like fun! I love puzzles, especially 2000 piece puzzles which I work on a large white board. The white board has a metal rim which helps keep pieces from sliding off onto to the floor, where the cats can get them. Here are a few of my favorite puzzles:
* Buffalo Games – North America Wonders – 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QSHDBRR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
* Buffalo Games – World Landmarks 360-2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T32FBYZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1
* Ravensburger World of Books Puzzle 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAAEI2Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And this one is on my Christmas Wish List!
* Buffalo Games – are We There Yet? – 2000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJVZ3PC/?coliid=IB8KDQMVF36I4&colid=27ZJUQWQI9BUK&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Lastly, this is the puzzle board I use for most of my jigsaw puzzles. I love the trays which are great for keeping the puzzle surface free of individual pieces. Sadly, the 2000 piece puzzles are too big for this table. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCJ5CB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Happy puzzling!
Here’s an “I’d Rather Be Reading” puzzle! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735360537?pf_rd_p=d078cc82-72c1-4667-8523-a2462fd1fc66&pf_rd_r=4VXSY4S3JQBVWMAEBX3A&pd_rd_wg=JbvqJ&pd_rd_i=0735355991&pd_rd_w=gJBCf&pd_rd_r=d40487e8-f606-41f5-b0c3-272e860122bc&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_bxgy_reranked_03_03_t_img_lh&th=1
I do a ‘grown up’ puzzle every Thanksgiving weekend, and my kids are always so disinterested until the very end. This year, though, I think I’ve got a winner with Lego Minifigs! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452182272/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
I love visual patterns and designs – art deco, Frank Lloyd Wright. https://pixels.com/featured/art-deco-stained-glass-2-ellen-henneke.html?product=puzzle&puzzleType=puzzle-18-24
I love doing holiday puzzles. We are still working on a Halloween Charlie Brown one. several Christmas theme ones,Religious and non Religious.
Thank you for the list.
Marion
I own the Cobble Hill “The Cat Library” in the link above and put it together several months ago. It was challenging and fun!
We have many undone puzzles. My sister is getting the Nancy Drew puzzle for Christmas. We have an American girl puzzle with is a mystery also. The map of Ireland puzzle is very large. Another holiday puzzle is one of with Peeps. We also have a Presidents puzzle. Thanks for the suggestions.
Marilyn
The BEST family puzzles are Jan Van Haasteren puzzles!!!
We got this Sandra Boynton “Complaints” puzzle and the whole family cracked up putting it together: https://bookshop.org/books/sandra-boynton-puzzle-complaints-500-piece-puzzle/9781523514786
Favorite puzzle of all time! SUNSOUT INC St. Francis 1000 pc Jigsaw Puzzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014O6IMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3AB1WH7XEE1RHSYK1TDQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I, too, love Charley Harper puzzles!
My family and I fell in love with the Harry Potter mini puzzles during the pandemic. This year I purchased the New York Puzzle company Advent set for the family. I am eager to start this tradition for the holidays this year!
I like puzzles by BlueKazoo. Beautiful, nice quality. Also, one of the co-owners is a delight on Tiktok, Abraham Piper.
Love these puzzles! You should check out a puzzle called “Ideal Bookshelf” Fantastic for the reader!
I just ordered one of the Nancy Drew puzzle from Cobble Hill. Thanks so much for this post. I had been wanting to buy a puzzle but nothing caught my eye until I saw your post.
I’ve spent several happy hours this past week working on the New York Puzzle Company’s Library puzzle. I’m nowhere near done. Two girls, a monkey, a bear, and a Zebra are all hanging out in a pastel library. This is like a childhood dream (I’d be one of the girls).
I am an avid puzzlers and just discovered this blog. My favorite is 1000 pieces which I really enjoy. My problem is trying to find someone or anyone who enjoys then as much as I do so I can pass them on when I’m done. I don’t frame them or do anything with them when I’m done. I just rebox and give them away. Is anyone interested in getting the puzzles? Please let me know.
Kaygee, there are a bunch of Facebook groups where you can swap/sell puzzles. Might be worth looking into for your finished puzzles you want to pass on!
My family is working on the Eurographics Christmas Ornaments Puzzle linked above. It is beautiful, and it is challenging! I love Eurographics puzzles; they are so beautiful. Thanks for all the links!