We started the DC Puzzle Swap group because we love doing jigsaw puzzles but we have too many. We thought, why not swap jigsaw puzzles with our neighbors? This would help us to do new puzzles, not spend as much money, and not have to store them all in our tiny apartments. We met up at the park a few times and then moved to the NE Library because of the great courtyard (and I live over there and end up with the leftover puzzles).

And then something happened. We realized that we not only got new puzzles, but we met the city's puzzlers- people like us!- new shy puzzlers who only wanted 500 piece puzzles, puzzlers who do a new puzzle every week (or 2), puzzle kids who came for the 3D puzzles, puzzlers who do one puzzle a year as tradition to finish by New Years eve, etc. We connected with our neighbors and we shared our stories and we left feeling so wonderfully rich in our community. We started to partner with the NE Library because they put a puzzle out for patrons, and we met the puzzlers who started that program, and we swapped with the Library, and then they planned a swap! We welcomed more people to our Facebook community and puzzlers started to post to it and to meet up in their own neighborhoods to swap puzzles with each other (outside of the swap!). DC Puzzle Swap is not only practical, but it is community building.