The New Zealand Jigsaw Puzzle Association (NZJPA) is a nationwide community for people who love jigsaw puzzles, in all the different ways people love them.

Our purpose is simple: Connecting Aotearoa Through Puzzles. We want to bring puzzlers together from across New Zealand, create opportunities to share our hobby and help people find their puzzle people.

NZJPA started in 2023 with a wee dream shared between fellow puzzlers. Could we create something that connected New Zealand’s puzzle community in the same way we were seeing happen overseas? Inspired by our Aussie neighbours and the growing puzzle associations and communities around the world, that little idea began to take shape.

Since then, NZJPA has grown into a wonderfully varied community. We have casual puzzlers, collectors, families, people who puzzle for relaxation, people who love a challenge, people who enjoy swapping and sharing puzzles, and yes, some very speedy competitive puzzlers too. What connects us isn’t how we puzzle, it’s simply that we love puzzles.

Throughout the year we create opportunities for our community to come together in lots of different ways. These include social puzzling, puzzle swaps, community activities, puzzle weekends and larger events, alongside our regional speed puzzling competitions and New Zealand Jigsaw Puzzle Nationals. Some people come to race, some come to spend a day surrounded by puzzles and other puzzlers, and plenty enjoy a bit of both.

In 2025, NZJPA officially became an incorporated society, giving us a strong foundation to continue growing and connecting the puzzle community across Aotearoa. We are a not-for-profit organisation run by a volunteer committee, with the support of an incredible network of volunteers, members, puzzle companies, sponsors and supporters throughout New Zealand.

One of the things we love most about puzzling is how easily it brings people together. Around a puzzle table, age, background and experience really don’t matter. Conversations start, pieces get passed around, friendships form and there is always someone who understands the excitement of finding that piece you’ve been looking for.

As NZJPA continues to grow, we want to keep finding new ways to support and connect puzzlers across Aotearoa, whether that’s through a big national event, a relaxed social puzzle session, sharing and swapping puzzles, supporting local puzzle communities or introducing someone to the hobby for the very first time.

You don’t need to be fast. You don’t need to compete. You don’t need to own hundreds of puzzles.

If you love jigsaw puzzles, you’re one of us.