5 Jigsaw Puzzles for iPad to Keep Seniors Mentally Sharp

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According to a National Institute of Health study, jigsaw puzzles can help combat cognitive decline and reduce the risk of developing dementia among older adults.

Solving puzzles is one of the best iPad activities for older adults. iPad is an ideal gadget for seniors to play games and solve puzzles because of its large screen size, lightweight, and senior-friendly interface.

Here are the 5 best jigsaw puzzle apps for iPad that are highly rated and loved by older adults.

1. Jigsaw Puzzles by Easy Brain

jigsaw puzzle by Easy Brain

This is one of the world’s most downloaded jigsaw puzzle apps. It has a large puzzle area and large puzzle pieces, making it ideal for older adults.

More than 13000 free HD pictures without missing pieces provide unlimited fun putting puzzles together to calm down and relax. 

Here are other key features of Jigsaw Puzzles.

  • Tons of HD pictures to choose from in a variety of categories like Colors, Flowers, Art, Animals, Nature, Landmarks and more
  • Daily updated gallery so you never run out of puzzles
  • Helpful hints to match the next piece of the puzzle if you get stuck
  • Seasonal events and mystery puzzles
  • Custom backgrounds to choose your favorite appearance
  • Rotation mode support

This is the most downloaded jigsaw puzzle app on the App Store, used by millions of puzzle lovers to solve puzzles and make their days relaxing and fun.

2. Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults HD

jigsaw puzzle game for adults

With 10,000+ free jigsaw puzzles and a new puzzle every day, Jigsaw this is one of the best puzzle apps for iPad on the app store.

You can upload your own pictures and use them to create puzzles. You can configure puzzles as you like them.

The key features of this app include

  • 12 different difficulty levels, from 12 to 440 puzzle pieces
  • Configure the background colors, shapes of puzzle pieces and other customizing options
  • Create your own puzzles using family photos and photos of your pets etc
  • 17 Jigsaw puzzle categories including Travel, Art, Animals, Landscapes, Kids, Home, Pattern and more
  • Your progress is auto-saved every time you close the puzzle
  • The daily free puzzle section offers a new puzzle every day

With 10,000 offline jigsaw puzzles and over 600,000 excellent ratings, Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults HD is the second most popular jigsaw app on the App Store.

3. Jigsaw Puzzle by Critical Hit

jigsaw puzzle by critical hit

This app has a huge collection of high-quality images including Disney, Hasbro, and more. One of the most popular jigsaw puzzle apps with over a billion puzzles played.

The app is designed by puzzle experts and the excellent quality of images and design detailing in the app has a fan base of millions.

The main features of this app include:

  • Choose the number of pieces from 9 to 1024
  • A new puzzle is released every day and new puzzle packs are released each week
  • Puzzles from your favorite jigsaw artists including Joseph Burgess and Nicky Boehme
  • Work on more than one puzzle at a time and keep a record of solved puzzles
  • Turn your personal photos into puzzles

High quality beautiful images and different characters from Disney make it one of the best jigsaw puzzles for iPad.

4. Magic Jigsaw Puzzles

Majic jigsaw puzzle

With 100 million downloads worldwide and over 30,000 HD pictures, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles is one of the largest jigsaw puzzle communities.

More than 50 million jigsaw puzzles are solved each month.

The key features include

  • Exclusive collections from collaborations with DISNEY, PIXAR and NICKELODEON
  • Personalize the puzzle with personal images and selected music and melodies collection that help you to relax and enjoy the game
  • More than 30,000 HD puzzles with daily updated galleries
  • From beginner to master. 6 levels of difficulty with up to 1200 pieces options
  • Preview the finished puzzle to help you solve it

Simple controls and design make it easy and ideal for the elderly.

5. Art Puzzle – Jigsaw Games

Art jigsaw puzzle

Art Puzzle is a unique app where coloring books meet jigsaw puzzles. You can solve puzzles by fitting together the pieces of drawing and watching them build into a colorful animated painting.

Artists have created fascinating paintings; each puzzle is a unique piece of art.

The key features that make Art puzzles a unique app

  • A fun mix of jigsaw puzzles and coloring books
  • All pictures are original and hand-drawn. Over 1000 puzzles.
  • The puzzle animates on completion and the picture comes to life
  • Helpful hints and guidance to complete a puzzle if you feel stuck

Art puzzle is very popular among puzzle lovers and an ideal and unique game for seniors who love jigsaw puzzles with a twist.

These are the 5 best jigsaw puzzle apps for iPad to have some quality fun time and keep you mentally active and sharp.

5 Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles for Elderly

Studies highlight the different benefits of solving jigsaw puzzles for older adults. Here are some of the well-noted effects of solving puzzles for seniors.

1. Jigsaw Puzzles Improve Memory

Jigsaw puzzles help improve visual-spatial reasoning, short-term memory and problem-solving skills among seniors, according to a study by NIH.

2. Jigsaw Puzzles can Reduce the Risks of Dementia for Seniors

The study further states that solving jigsaw puzzles regularly helps combat cognitive decline in the elderly, which can reduce and delay the risk of developing dementia.

3. Puzzling Stimulates Both Sides of the Brain

Puzzling is a mental workout for both sides of the brain (the left or logical side and the right or creative side).

Studies suggest that puzzles help older adults to relax their minds and enter a state of meditation.

Read more about the best iPad brain games for seniors.

4. Puzzles Relieve Stress and Boost Mood

Puzzles combat stress, anxiety, and depression among older adults. Puzzle-solving excites the brain and releases a chemical called “dopamine” which causes happiness in humans.

Solving puzzles regularly is an ideal way to uplift the mood and avoid loneliness among seniors.

5. Attention to Details Raise Concentration Levels

Solving jigsaw puzzles requires attention to detail and abilities to differentiate between different colors and shapes.

It is a great brain workout for seniors and a way to improve concentration levels and problem-solving skills.  

Putting a puzzle together brings a sense of satisfaction and achievement, uplifts the mood of seniors, and provides an ideal way to avoid depression, anxiety and loneliness.

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Sohail Ahmed

I love helping seniors with technology. This blog features apps, games, gadgets, technology tips, and tutorials for older adults … Know More


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