Last Friday\nafternoon we had a virtual Department quiz – a perfect way to end the week. One\nof the quiz rounds was on riddles. And it got me thinking about the benefits\nriddles and puzzles have on our learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Now, I am very hot\nand cold when it comes to riddles and puzzles. At last Friday’s quiz, I could\nnot get the image association questions, but the riddles I managed to work out.\nOther days, the riddles stump me and I am the queen of ‘saying what you see’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after the quiz I was buzzing – it was so much fun to socialise with my colleagues and I was challenged to exercise my brain in a way I felt I hadn’t done in a long while. I felt the urge to dust off my old Nintendo DS ‘Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training’ game and break out the ‘Big Book of Crosswords’ (where did I put that?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what are the\nbenefits of riddles and brain teasers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, for me the first is relaxation. This may sound strange for some (it can be frustrating if you can’t work out the answer) but I find, when I am trying to solve a puzzle, I momentarily switch off from what is causing me stress. My mind is solely focussed on solving the riddle, to finding the answer. I’m not worried if I can’t find the answer – I know I will work it out eventually, even if I have to get a little help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another benefit is that I feel a real sense of accomplishment. I’m the sort of person who always thinks themselves as ‘stupid’ (I’m working on that) so solving a puzzle gives my confidence and self-belief a boost. And, if I get the answer wrong, I then learn the correct answer and know more than I did before, which I also see as an accomplishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I also feel that my\nbrain is sharper the more riddles and puzzles I do. I feel my memory and\nproblem-solving is improved. Riddles make you look at things from different\nangles, to think laterally. These are skills that can benefit all aspect of my\nlife, learning and work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through riddles I\nfind I attain new knowledge – and I remember it better. There’s something, for\nme, about finding the answer for myself through ‘clues’ instead of just being\ntold it, which helps me retain and apply the new information for longer. This use\nof riddles for learning is not new: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Riddles date back\nthousands of years in ancient civilisations around the world. In Anglo-Saxon\nBriton, Riddles were a literary form that was studied and used for learning.\nAldhelm wrote riddles in around the 8th Century – his Enigmata<\/em><\/a> manuscript is believed to have\nbeen copied in the South of England – possibly in Canterbury (Aldhelm was a\nnotable graduate of Theodore\nand Hadrian’s Canterbury School<\/a> after all)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to try it out for yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s load of websites out there with riddles and brain teasers. I really like the riddles that TED have (although some are rather fiendish in difficulty). I have included some of my favourites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n