A Puzzling Way to Get In Some Family Time

Tomorrow, January 29th, is National Puzzle Day! Puzzles were created in 1760 when John Spilsbury, a British mapmaker, glued a map onto a piece of wood and then cut around the country shapes to create a teaching aid for geography. The idea soon caught on, and over the years the popularity of puzzles has grown to include crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, math puzzles, word puzzles, and more.

Puzzles and other games are a great way to spend time with your family. If you don't already, why not create a family game night? Puzzles and games offer ways for your family to work together and solve problems or tasks in a fun and exciting way - building self esteem, confidence and team building skills in your children. Children also learn great social skills such as taking turns, communication, following rules and reasoning. Game night also may have a winning and losing team - so take this opportunity to talk about being a good sport as well.

Jennifer Palashoff and Julie Toussaint know all about the benefits of puzzles. The identical twin sisters are the owners of Learning Toys Express of Robinson and Bakery Square in Pittsburgh, PA. Julie and her sister believe that "games and puzzles are a great way to bring families together while fostering learning, creative thinking and fun"! Growing up as twins, Jennifer and Julie always played games together, which helped to create a bond that has kept them working together ever since. Here are their suggestions for some great puzzles to celebrate with on National Puzzle Day:

Melissa and Doug Alphabet Express Floor Puzzle: This floor puzzle is great for children, with larger and thicker pieces for small hands to work with. The Alphabet Express theme helps kids learn their alphabet in a fun way by linking the letters together to create a train. This puzzle retails for $12.99.

Ball of Whacks: This puzzle is a great brain teaser for adults, which stimulates the mind and helps with creativity. Rearrange the 30 magnetic blocks into many different shapes. This puzzle retails for $35.00.

Do you currently have a family game night? How old were your children when you started? What types of games or puzzles does your family enjoy? Share more in the comments below.

About Jennifer & Julie: The twin sisters own two locations of Learning Express Toys in the

Pittsburgh, PA area, where you can discover a world of unique and educational games and toys. They work hard to continuously provide the latest and most innovative toys to pique a child's curiosity, creativity, and sense of discovery. Check out the store calendar on Facebook or their website for fun events, character visits, story times and craft times. They know that being a parent keeps you busy, so they always provide complimentary gift wrapping and personalization as well as that "Perfect Toy".

Photo credits (Psychology Today); (Pittsburgh Post Gazette); puzzle photos courtesy of Jennifer & Julie