Jigsaw Crazy

Toby is jigsaw puzzle mad!

As a young child he really struggled with peg type wooden toddler puzzles. I assumed he would need to be able to do those before tackling a typical jigsaw (a great example of how I put barriers in his way). However from the start he was a whizz on normal jigsaws.

I can remember a professional visiting the house approx 4 years ago. They said that Toby was visually memorising the pieces (no bad trait really!) which I think he does to some extent on complex jigsaws, as we have a rule in our house that you don't use the picture on the box to help you. However as they were talking, Amazon arrived with a brand new 100+ piece Disney character jigsaw. Toby got scissors, opened the box, and he sat and completed the jigsaw brand new, in front of the professional!! It was a classic moment. He proved a point.

We now have cupboards full of jigsaws (those behind Toby in the photo are full of jigsaws) plus we have at least 5 crates full too. We regularly rotate them, and clear them out to make space for more!

Jigsaws form the basis of Christmas and Birthday presents these days. Toby can easily do 3-4 familiar jigsaws per day. There's always several boards of half done jigsaws stacked in the kitchen. Grandad even made Toby these fab boards. Toby is seriously obsessed.

Jigsaws are part of his routine. He will always do some first thing; then after lunch, after tea and before bed.

In recent times I've come to think thats it's a form of stimming or self regulation, in the same way that he likes swinging throughout the day. Certainly a lot of other sensory traits have lessoned since he's been at home.

Today's jigsaw is a brand new one from his birthday. Toby didn't even come and see me first thing but went downstairs; ate his breakfast; got scissors and opened this 200 piece jigsaw! It's not even 9am yet. Originally Published on 25.9.2021