Fairplay Puzzles is committed to carrying a wide selection of puzzle brands dedicated to representing and celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We embrace these core values in all aspects of our business, from the brands we sell to the people we choose to do business with and the charitable causes we support. Our puzzle brands reflect these core values, and we have a special place in our hearts for start-up MWBE brands and artists sharing life and cultural representations from their experiences and perspectives.

A personal note from our founder, Helana Callard

150+ puzzles | > 90 brands

That's how many puzzles I have enjoyed putting together.  I discovered a great love of puzzles during an extremely challenging time in my life.  In March 2021, I was severely injured in a car accident and had to take a break from my Certified Midwife position in the Bronx, where I have cared for underserved women for the last 23 years. I started putting together puzzles to fill the time after being left immobilized for months and to take my mind off my pain and concerns about my recovery.

I quickly became passionate about puzzles (really I’d say I quickly became addicted to puzzles, as that sums it up), from opening the box, to running my fingers through the pieces, to the satisfaction of finding the piece I’d been looking for and clicking it in place, to the beautiful art at the end. When I’m doing a puzzle my mind is calm and stress melts away. I knew I wanted to share this.

That is when the idea for Fairplay Puzzles was born. 

I recognized right away that many brand’s puzzles did not represent the people I had spent more than two decades caring for and about. I knew they deserved to see themselves reflected in their puzzles. Representation matters and can bring impactful changes to families and the communities they live in. 

I learned a lot as I chose the puzzles I would carry in my shop and made sure that many of them were from brands and artists that represented these communities and aligned with these core values.  I carefully located puzzles and tested them personally to curate a puzzle collection designed so everyone could enjoy interactive art that was beautiful, fair, and functional.

"Wishing all of you a diverse, inclusive, and enjoyable puzzle experience!"

- Helana

As a puzzle lover, Helana noticed a few things along the way...

Lack of Diversity and Representation

Whenever Helana Callard looked for a new puzzle, she discovered that many mass market puzzles weren't very original, inclusive, or diverse - they certainly weren't an accurate representation of the people and cultures she cared for every day as a nurse midwife in The Bronx.

Supporting puzzle brands and artists from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, predominantly MWBEs (Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises), that are underrepresented in the puzzle community was vital to her. 

Brand Quality Commitment

After meaningfully piecing together many puzzles, Helana realized that high-quality materials are essential to the puzzle's tactile feel and overall experience. Every brand she has curated for the puzzle shop has been personally evaluated.  Helana appreciates puzzle manufacturers' commitment to using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices when manufacturing their products.

Aesthetic Vibe and Fun Factor

Puzzle art plays a big part in the puzzle selection and diversity of genres when Helana chooses puzzles for the shop.  Each puzzle chosen is a vibrant and beautiful work of art that is fun to do, and represents the richness of our diversity of cultures, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs—storytelling through puzzles.

Puzzles are truly pieces of interactive art that everyone can enjoy.

Sustainable Business Practices

Most of the puzzle brands we carry are committed to environmental stewardship and use recycled cardboard and utilize smaller puzzle boxes to reduce the amount of cardboard needed for puzzle production and shipping/packing materials. 

We source packing and shipping materials from U.S. manufacturers and use upcycled materials whenever possible to reduce our carbon footprint. 

The brands and puzzles in our collection are:

"Puzzles are not only enjoyable to do but allow us to relax and unplug from our busy lives!"

- Helana