Puzzle solving has an inherent appeal to ESL students and is an active way of learning or revising vocabulary. Students associate word puzzles with recreation and can be less daunting as review tools or even as a test. By substituting a visual-spacial relationship between meaning and definition, puzzles engage more students with the materials and deepen their mastery of the English lexis. No wonder people have used word puzzles in the classrooms for many years!
There are many types of word puzzles for all ages including adults! I like the fact that I can have a number of different unique word puzzles created to printout on the same topic. So when we are studying a topic in English, say “Family and Friends”, I can print out six different sets then split the class into six groups and give them each a unique puzzle to solve.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Easy-to-use Online Vocabulary Games Generator
Recently, I decided to let the students (in their groups) create word puzzles themselves for their classmates to solve. I assign each group their “mission” and explain the kind of puzzle they should make online (you can download the instructions here). They have to send me the digital copy at the end of the lesson so I could produce enough copies for the rest of the class. During revision time, the group that created the puzzles take the center stage and discuss the answers.
Here are some word puzzles I use in my class.
Some of them sound complicated than they really are so don’t faint. If my students were able to do these, so can you! You will find the step-by-step guide how to create these word puzzles on the links provided.
1. Double-Puzzle
A double puzzle is a puzzle where students first need to unscramble clue words, then use letters from those clue words to decode the final word/phrase. The letters for the final phrase can be numbered, making the Double Puzzle slightly easier to solve.
2. Word Search
Word Search is a type of word puzzles that consists of the letters of words placed in a grid, which usually has a rectangular or square shape. The objective of this puzzle is to find and mark all the words hidden inside the box.
3. Crossword
Probably the most popular of all, a crossword is another word puzzles that normally takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white and black shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers.
4. Caesar Cipher
The Caesar cipher is one of the simplest forms of encryption and is named after Julius Caesar who used it to communicate with his army. Also known as a shift cipher, each letter in the original alphabet (called the plaintext) is replaced by a letter some fixed number of positions up or down the alphabet.
5. Cryptogram
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text where each letter is replaced by a different letter or number. You solve the cryptogram with a trial and error process, guessing the letters that have been replaced.
6. Polybius Square
A Polybius Square is a table that allows someone to translate letters into numbers. Each letter is then represented by its coordinates in the grid. In order to fit the 26 letters of the alphabet into the 25 spots created by the table, the letters i and j are usually combined. To encipher a message you replace each letter with the row and column in which it appears. To decipher a message you find the letter that intersects the specified row and column.
ALSO READ: ESL WARM UP ACTIVITIES WITH FREE POWERPOINT DOWNLOAD
Bonus!
The following links are lesson plans from Education World that provide an easy way to incorporate specific puzzles into your curriculum.
- The Wright Puzzle
- Puzzle Boxes for Any Subject
- Heartbreaking Puzzle
- Word-zles
And if you are looking for ready-to-use printable puzzles, Teacher Vision has got it all for you!
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What do you think about this activity? Let us know in the comments!
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Puzzles
Do you like puzzles? Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles? Did you like doing puzzles when you were a kid? When do you do puzzles, during trips, or when you feel bored? Do you think it is suitable for older people to do puzzles?
- Let alone (phrase) — used after a negative statement to emphasize how unlikely a situation is because something much more likely has never happened.
- To make out (phrasal verb) — to deal with a situation, usually in a successful way.
- Engaging (adj.) — pleasant, attractive, and charming.
- To match up (phrasal verb) — If two pieces of information match up, they are the same.
- Expertise (noun) — a high level of knowledge or skill.
- To work out (phrasal verb) — to understand something or to find the answer to something by thinking about it.
- Jigsaw (noun) — a picture stuck onto wood or cardboard and cut into pieces of different shapes that must be joined together correctly to form the picture again.
- To set up (phrasal verb) — to arrange for an event or activity to happen.
- To fill out (phrasal verb) — to write or type information in spaces that are provided for it.
- Crossword (noun) — a game in which you write words that are the answers to questions in a pattern of black and white squares.
- Wordle (noun) — a brand name for an electronic image that shows words used in a particular piece of electronic text or series of texts. The words are different sizes according to how often they are used in the text.
- To rule something or someone out (phrasal verb) — to decide or say officially that something is impossible or will not happen, or that something or someone is not suitable.
Check out our course on phrasal verbs!
Check out our course on phrasal verbs!
M: Rory, do you like puzzles?
R: Well, not really. It’s always difficult for me to follow the instructions, let alone make out any solutions. Although now that I think about it, it’s not because they’re not particularly engaging. It’s just because I have other things on my mind, to be honest with you.
M: Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles?
R: Well, ideally, neither. But if I had to choose one, I suppose it would be word puzzles, because they most closely match up with my area of expertise, which is English. I suppose working out my finances is enough of a number puzzle for me.
M: Did you like doing puzzles when you were a kid?
R: I think I used to, but I had more time to finish them off back then. Whereas now I don’t really because I’ve got all these jobs to do. Working out how to finish a Rubik’s cube or to put together a jigsaw takes ages for me. So I don’t really have the time for it.
M: When do you do puzzles, during trips or when you feel bored?
R: Well, I think the closest I get is when I’m setting them up for classes and I have to work out the solutions. If I had to choose then it would probably be during trips like filling out a crossword on a plane. If I didn’t have a book and there was nothing else to do. But that’s just an example.
M: Do you think it’s suitable for older people to do puzzles?
R: Well, I think they’re the ones best place to do it, since they have, well or they usually have more free time on their hands and they have more experience. Although now I think about it, young people are always putting up or posting pictures of their wordles, aren’t they? So maybe we shouldn’t rule them out entirely.
M: Hey! Thank you, Rory, for your answers! We weren’t puzzled by them at all.
M: So, Rory, when I asked you, do you like puzzles, you said that you enjoy making out the solutions?
R: Well, I said it was quite difficult to make out the solutions. But if you make something out, that just means that you either see it clearly, or in this case, see it clearly in your mind’s eye. So understand it clearly. So it’s difficult to make out the solutions. It’s difficult to find the solutions. But you could say the same thing about anything. Like in foggy weather, it’s difficult to make out things in the distance. So it’s difficult to see things in the distance too.
M: So we make out solutions, right? A phrasal verb. But what do we do with puzzles? We do puzzles, we complete puzzles. We what?
R: I talked about it later. I said to fill out a crossword, which is another way of saying that you complete it as well. But you can also fill out forms so if you were ever asked questions about writing, then you could say I need to write when I have to fill out a form.
M: Fill out a crossword, do a puzzle, complete a puzzle. And a crossword is a kind of puzzle, right? What other kinds of puzzles can you talk about here? You can talk about jigsaw puzzles.
R: I was gonna say I, mentioned jigsaw puzzles, and Rubik’s cubes as well. I think those are the big ones that I have experience with. But you have logic puzzles as well like Sudoku, for example. It’s where you have to match up numbers and squares. I’m not really explaining that very well. But you’ve seen this before.
M: So yeah, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku. So these are all different kinds of puzzles. And also, you can talk about these wood cubes or something. This is pieces of wood, and you arrange them in different ways. So yeah, word puzzles and number puzzles, right? And, Rory, you said that, if I had to choose, I choose something like word-based puzzles.
R: Or just word puzzles.
M: So like crosswords?
R: Yeah, crosswords are word-based. What else is word-based? Hangman? That’s like a word-based puzzle or a word-based game that you play.
M: Is it a puzzle? Hangman.
R: It is. Because you have to work out a solution. So, and it’s usually entertaining.
M: Yeah, you see. So I enjoy solving puzzles, I enjoy working out solutions, right? So if you do crosswords, Sudoku, yeah, you can use these nice words. And you can say, for example, I enjoy doing puzzles, which match up with my area of expertise. Expertise or expertise?
R: Expertise. And that’s another phrasal verb that I picked out for this one as well. So if something matches up, then it fits together well. And actually, you could talk about matching up with your expertise or your area of expertise. But for puzzles, you could also talk about matching up the jigsaw pieces as well. You can also say that my life is a puzzle.
R: Yeah.
M: You said that working out my finances is enough of a numerical puzzle for me.
R: So, this is just a way of stressing the fact that it’s a difficult thing to do. So if it’s something is enough of something, it’s just like, yeah, this is enough, I don’t need any more. So working out my finances is enough of a number puzzle. Or if we were talking about something else, like word puzzles, for example, then you could say, oh, writing an email or reading my colleagues’ emails is enough of a word puzzle for me. It’s already complicated enough, I don’t need anymore.
M: And if you never do any puzzles, never like, fiddle with a Rubik’s cube or something else, you can say, yeah, my life is a puzzle, or my job is a puzzle. My, I don’t know, personal relationship is a puzzle for me. So…
R: Yeah.
M: So a Rubik’s Cube, right? So you finish a Rubik’s cube. And also you can say, to finish off a puzzle.
R: Yeah. I suppose, what else could we say? Solve a puzzle, finish a puzzle. We’ve already said complete as well.
M: Or do, yeah, do a puzzle.
R: Yeah. So there’s lots of verbs to go with puzzle. And phrasal verbs, which was the whole focus of today’s episode.
M: How long would it take you to kind of «ubulububu» the Rubik’s cube?
R: What, you mean, make all this make all of the colors match up?
M: Yeah. Oh, you know what I used to do? I had this Rubik’s cube and the Rubik’s Cube had these stickers. So it’s actually like yellow stickers, green stickers. You know, what I would do? I would just like take off the sticker, put it there, take off another sticker, put it there. So I had like all like nice…
R: I think lots of people have done this as well, or been tempted to do it, to be honest with you.
M: That’s Maria’s Rubik’s Cube.
R: We’re talking about the phrasal verbs and the different verbs there. But we could also talk about words to describe puzzles. So obviously, puzzles, puzzling, I think that’s a bit too obvious for most people. But we can talk about puzzles being engaging, or not very engaging. So that just means that they’re interesting or not very interesting.
M: And you can do puzzles in different places. And when you go traveling, or when, for example, you feel bored. Yeah. And one of the questions was, like, do you do puzzles when you feel bored? And Rory said, yeah, I can fill out a crossword, if I’m really bored.
R: Yeah. But usually, I have a book with me on a plane. So this is not something like that I would do first.
M: But when you go traveling, Rory, so you went to Italy, did you take any puzzles with you?
R: I didn’t know. No, but I had like a whole load of books. I don’t know if you saw the Instagram post, but I like reviewed a book every so often. And that was what I did, when I was on holiday in Italy. To be honest, here’s another way you could use enough of. Working out how to use the public transport system in Naples was enough of a puzzle as well. So I didn’t really need something on a bit of paper other than the bus timetable to try and understand that.
M: So this is a great structure and a great strategy. If you have no idea what kinds of puzzles to talk about. You can say like, oh, traveling by Metro in Rome was a real puzzle for me.
R: Yeah, or enough of a puzzle for me.
M: Was enough of a puzzle for me, or like, living my life is enough of a puzzle for me. Thank you very much! I don’t need any more. All this like Rubik’s Cube and jigsaw puzzles and… And taking IELTS exam, you know…
R: Yeah. Especially the reading. Do you remember like we were talking about this, you get a question and you look at it. And it’s like, none of the answers are appropriate, but you have to choose one.
M: Is a real puzzle. It’s really puzzling, puzzling. Right, and you can say that puzzles are more suitable for older people or the elderly, or, you know, young people, right? Are there any puzzles, maybe like apps with puzzles?
R: There are. And I have, I, oh, I’m really annoyed now that you’ve asked me this question, because I have some on my phone. But I’ve completely forgotten what they’re called. I suppose the closest thing I have is like chess. But that’s not really a puzzle that’s more like a game that you play with a computer. Or at least in the case of what I’ve got on my phone. What other puzzles can you have? Murdle is a puzzle. You could probably get jigsaw puzzle apps on your phone, I’m sure.
M: Really? Oh, wow. Maybe online crosswords?
R: Yeah.
M: And you mentioned like paper-based puzzles. So we have like, word-based puzzles, paper-based, like on paper crossword. Or you can also talk about, I don’t know, apps that you have on your phone with puzzles.
R: Yeah.
M: If you do. And you mentioned this wordles.
R: Wordles. I know, I mentioned them, but the only reason I mentioned them is because people post them all the time. I actually, that was one of the, that was another phrasal verb that we used, putting up or, meaning putting up on social media, or posting on social media. So they’re always putting them up there. And I can see them, it’s like the the green squares and the yellow squares. And I think some of them are orange. And I don’t really know how it works. But the idea is that you have to solve or work out which word is in the puzzle based on these things that they have in common with other words. And somehow this is wildly popular. I don’t understand wordle. But it’s an example of a puzzle. And you could say, it’s an example of a puzzling puzzle, because I have no idea how it works. Sorry. That’s my really bad explanation of why I picked wordle for that, because I don’t know what it is. It’s a puzzle for me.
M: It’s a puzzling puzzle. Can we really say it’s a puzzling puzzle?
R: Well, you could as a joke, and then laugh, and then the examiner looks at you like you’re crazy. But they would, like, if you’re laughing at the joke about the language, then it’s probably a good sign that you have good control over it. Or you just have no life like me.
M: So if you decide to play with words, you can do this. But make sure that kind of the examiner is with you. And they understand that you are making a joke. Oh, I was puzzled by a puzzle. You know. If you kind of are not comfortable with it, just don’t do it. Yeah, because it’s very strange. I was puzzled by a puzzling puzzle.
R: I’ll start making jokes, I promise.
M: Okay, okay, if I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, Rory. So let’s imagine that you have this jigsaw puzzle with a photo of me or with a photo of us together. Right? So a jigsaw puzzle. What do you call this little thingy? Like «woowoowoo» this.
R: Oh, the pieces?
M: Yeah, so jigsaw pieces. And we can say, for example, if your puzzle, jigsaw puzzle has 1000 pieces, it’s a 1000-piece puzzle.
R: Yes.
M: Right? And Rory, have you ever completed this jigsaw puzzle with 5000 pieces, or maybe 10,000 pieces?
R: I don’t even think when I was a child and I used to do these things I ever completed something so big. Back then it’s because I didn’t have the attention span for it. And now it’s because I just don’t have the time. I don’t… Maybe people get satisfaction from putting everything in the right place and completing something. But I don’t think that’s a good use of my time. Sorry, if you like jigsaw puzzles, by the way, I’m talking about my own personal experience, not criticizing yours.
M: And you know what? My brother had a jigsaw puzzle. And it was just like, like a black square, just like this.
R: What’s the point in that? Does that make a particular statement or something?
M: I don’t know. And now he completed it. And now it’s on the wall. So you can just like glue it all together. So it’s like one kind of a painting picture kind of thing. So…
R: Good for him. It’s not what I would spend my time doing. I’m really sorry, Maria’s brother, it’s just not my thing.
M: You can also say that doing jigsaw puzzles is therapeutic for me. Right? So you said entertaining. It’s having fun, but also it could be therapeutic.
R: Yeah.
M: You just like forget about your thoughts. You’re focusing on this like black pieces, putting them all together. So put them together. Yeah?
R: So what kind of words do we have? Engaging, calming, therapeutic, puzzling.
M: Crazy, puzzling.
R: Sorry.
M: Oh, right. Dear listener, please tell us, what kinds of puzzles do you like? Or would you like to do this black jigsaw puzzle with black pieces?
R: Or practice your writing for part one and write a process description for how to do Wordle. And I’ll read that and assess it. Actually, if someone sends me one of those on Instagram, I will read it and I’ll give you feedback, because that’s, that’s quite useful for both of us. If you’re interested in getting a link to the transcript for this episode that’s in the description below. Please leave a comment and remember to like and subscribe.
M: Please choose your favourite phrasal verbs. Two phrasal verbs that you would like to use in your IELTS speaking, write them in the comments. Okay? And let’s not be puzzled by puzzling puzzles.
R: Now that we’ve solved that puzzle, bye!
M: Bye!
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IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 Puzzles: Study the sample answers to the following topic questions:
Did you do puzzles in your childhood?
Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles?
When do you play puzzles?
Do you think it is good for old people to do puzzles?
Learn topic vocabulary about puzzles such as crossword puzzles or jigsaw puzzles and collocations, and understand how the speaker developed his answers targeting the criteria, Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
The sample answers below give you ideas on how to communicate your thoughts better which will help you achieve your target band score. Practice and achieve a band 7 or even a band 9!
PUZZLES
ANSWERS
Did you do puzzles in your childhood?
(Answer 1)
Yes, I did! I remember I enjoyed playing jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, and Scrabble with my parents and siblings. We usually played with those puzzles when we had a holiday in our shack (cabin) during summer break. My parents didn’t want us to watch TV every time we have our holiday since they wanted us to really spend time with one another. That was lovely, actually.
(Answer 2)
Of course! Actually, my favorites are crossword puzzles and Sudoku puzzles. It was my mom who taught me how to answer crossword puzzles because she really wanted me to learn lots of vocabulary, which I’m so grateful for even up to this day because my language skills really developed. As for (with regard to) Sudoku, I just got interested in it because I was so inspired by my friend who’s really good at numbers, so he was very kind in teaching me how to solve Sudoku puzzles.
Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles?
(Answer 1)
I’m more into the latter (the second mentioned) because I love numbers. I enjoy solving mathematical problems or challenges as I’m really good at numbers. Well, I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing my own horn (to talk about myself or one’s achievements in a way that shows pride) but to tell you the truth, I got a lot of awards in both elementary and high school for competing in number puzzles.
(Answer 2)
Well, if that question was asked when I was a kid, for sure my answer would be word puzzles because I had a mentor who helped me do word puzzles and that’s my mom. However, these days, I’m more interested in number puzzles as those types of puzzles help me develop my critical or logical thinking skills which are so helpful in decision-making.
When do you play puzzles?
(Answer 1)
I seldom play puzzles these days because I’m incredibly busy with my work and my personal affairs. I think the last time I played puzzles was last month. I was playing a word puzzle called Scrabble on my phone while I was waiting for my mom’s arrival at the airport.
(Answer 2)
I have installed some word and number puzzles on my smartphone so I play one of those puzzles when I simply have nothing to do or when I need to wait for someone. It’s actually my way of killing the time (to spend time doing something while one is waiting) or my way of entertaining myself so I don’t feel like I waste my time waiting for someone or something.
Do you think it is good for old people to do puzzles?
(Answer 1)
Yes, I believe so because puzzles are a form of mental exercise. As we know, most elderly experience memory loss so playing a number puzzle or a word puzzle will surely help their brain become active and make them improve their memory. Well, I’m not making this up (inventing a story) – there are actual studies that have been done to support my claim.
(Answer 2)
Definitely! All puzzles have benefits for players, most especially for the elderly. Playing with any kind of puzzle will surely enhance the memory of old people since those will make their brains active.
Actually, I read an article that says those old people who play puzzles are less likely to experience dementia (inability to remember, think, or make decisions) because their brain is being exercised. That really convinces me since my grandma has sharp memory despite her age because her favorite pastime is playing numbers or word puzzles.
Study how to answer the recent IELTS Speaking Part 1 about GEOGRAPHY on this link https://www.ieltsdragon.com/ielts-speaking-part-1-geography-answers/recent-ielts-part-1-sample-answers/
Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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How often do you personally sit down and enjoy a Word Search puzzle; once a week, perhaps? Perhaps you like to do a Word Search every Tuesday and Thursday? Whatever the case may be, most “wordy” people like to do Word Search puzzles on a regular basis.
I have always enjoyed doing Word Search puzzles. What started out as something I tried as a kid has flourished into one of my most enjoyed pastimes! I started at a very young age, thanks to my grandmother. Still, to this day, I find myself looking for spare time to sit down with my latest Word Search puzzle.
That being said, it has recently been brought to my attention that there are drawbacks and disadvantages of Word Search, and I would love to share these with you. While I do not find any of these disadvantages particularly off-putting, it is understandable why some might. If you would like to take a look at each of these disadvantages and drawbacks, simply read on below.
13 disadvantages and drawbacks of Word Search puzzles:
1. Word Search takes time.
Yup, if you are looking for quick and easy entertainment, you will not find it in a Word Search. Some Word Search puzzles are hard work and take time to complete. For some people, a puzzle that requires so much time and attention is simply not ideal, and therefore, Word Search puzzles simply do not feature on their “to do” list.
2. Being addicted to Word Search can take you away from work/studies.
The more you do Word Search puzzles, the more you will want to do Word Search puzzles. That is a fact – I am living proof of that! It can become quite an addictive pastime if you aren’t careful about balancing your time.
Unfortunately, when anything becomes addictive, it can be hard to put down or walk away from. That means that you will start to steal time from your work and studies. This is a serious downside as you might become distracted or frustrated when you need to work or study.
3. To keep the benefits that come with Word Searches, you’ll need to keep working on them.
When you start working out your brain, you will need to keep working it out. Sounds like effort, doesn’t it? Well, it is effort. Just like any part of the human body, when you work out the brain and it becomes stronger, it needs to be consistently worked out to maintain its fitness levels. With the brain, you can’t do one Word Search and expect to retain the benefits. This can seem like a hobby that needs a lot of effort, and of course, once you have brain fitness, you will want to keep it. That can be quite inconvenient, can’t it?
4. Being engrossed in Word Search puzzles can appear anti-social.
Just how social can you really be when all you want to do is Word Search puzzles all the time? Do you find yourself avoiding eye contact, focusing on word lists, and “zoning out” while doing a puzzle?
When you are all over a Word Search puzzle, fully engrossed in solving it, chances are that you will not hear what people are saying around you or be interested in them. This can make a person appear quite anti-social. I am known to whip out a Word Search puzzle even when there are visitors around – that is not a great way to appear social, is it?
5. Word Search puzzles can become too easy to solve.
As your vocabulary, spelling, context clue fluency, and pattern recognition skills improve, so will your Word Search puzzle-solving skills. Your skills will improve, and while that can be great, it can also be quite annoying in the end. You will find that it becomes easier and easier for you to solve puzzles, and it may appear as if the puzzles are becoming too easy. When a puzzle gets “too easy”, it can become boring.
6. Word Search puzzles require you to have some spelling/reading skills.
For young kids with no spelling and reading skills, Word Search puzzles can be no fun at all. They are somewhat excluded because they don’t have the basic skills required to puzzle it out. To do a Word Search puzzle, you must be able to read and recognize word sounds. That being said, reading and spelling skills can improve the more one is exposed to Word Search puzzles.
7. Being without Word Search puzzles on hand can lead to withdrawal.
Withdrawals, you say? Yes, it is true! This one I have experienced myself and it is extremely unpleasant. When you have nothing else to do and you do not have access to your regular Word Search puzzles, withdrawal symptoms will kick in. You can become moody, angry, frustrated, and even a little sad.
8. Doing too many Word Searches can lead to people not understanding you.
Yup, it is true. The more you improve on your vocabulary, the better you will be able to communicate, or will you? Your vocab will certainly become more extensive, but that is not always a good thing, though. When you start using and understanding words that no one else knows or understands, people may start to find it hard to understand you.
9. Word Search is a mild brain workout compared to Crossword puzzles.
What if I told you that Word Search requires all of that effort, but it’s still not really the best you can do for your brain fitness? There is no denying that Word Search is a good brain work out, but when compared to other word puzzles such as Crossword puzzles, it is considered somewhat mild. Crosswords require people to actually think up a word, whereas Word Search puzzles provide the word.
10. Being unable to solve the puzzle can result in frustration.
If you can’t find a word on the grid, chances are that frustration will kick in. Actually, it definitely will kick in! The longer you struggle to find the hidden word, the more frustration can mount. As you can imagine, this can become extremely frustrating and may even result in an angry outburst or a temper tantrum. And that is never any real fun, is it?
11. Doing Word Search puzzles may take you away from your close relationships.
I have, on a few occasions, put off spending quality time with my family just so that I can do a Word Search puzzle. While it has been fun for me, it is probably not so much fun for the loved ones that I have ignored or let down. If you are worried about neglecting your family, you should probably stay away from possible Word Search addiction.
12. Doing Word Search puzzles may start to cost you.
Just like all pastimes and hobbies, Word Search puzzles can start to cost money. Every Word Search book that you buy will cost money. When you download paid apps for Word Search on your phone, it will cost you. When you constantly buy local newspapers just for the included Word Search, it costs you. You might, however, find free Word Search puzzles online that you can print for yourself.
13. Word Search puzzles can be tiring if you do not like to think.
Some people just do not like to think too much. I personally love a good mental workout through thinking, but if you prefer your entertainment to come easily and be uncomplicated, Word Search puzzles are not quite going to do it for you. If you do not like to think, you might think that these puzzles are just too tiring.
Last Word
Who would have thought that a Word Search puzzle could have any disadvantages and drawbacks attached! I certainly didn’t when I was first informed of such. If you have been wondering if there are any downsides to doing Word Search puzzles regularly, now you know… yes, there is!
Word search puzzles are a great way to keep your brain sharp no matter how old you are. While a word puzzle – like a crossword puzzle or cryptic puzzles – might seem like a game for elementary school children, it’s a great way to keep your vocabulary at its peak. Children typically spend many hours in front of a screen; including a word search puzzle is a good way to break things up a bit.
Table of Contents
- Daily Random Topic
- Newsletter Word Search
- Sports Word Search Puzzles
- Movies Word Search Puzzles
- Culture Word Search Puzzles
- Vocabulary Word Search Puzzles
- What Are Some of The Benefits Of Word Search Puzzles?
- Spelling Improvement
- Vocabulary
- Memory
- Increased Work Pace
- Persistence Increased
- Test-taking Improvements
- Self-esteem Improvement
- Word Search Puzzles Can Be Done Anywhere
- They Can Increase Your Competitive Nature
- Bonding For the Family
- Computer Whiz Kids
- They Help You Better Understand Pattern Recognition
There are many different types of word search puzzles that can keep your mind nice and sharp.
Daily Random Topic
Why not try out a word search puzzle that contains random topics that you might not be familiar with? Doing these types of puzzles is a great way to learn about something that you might not have known before.
Newsletter Word Search
Word search games are another fun way to learn about the recent news. Instead of running to CNN the next time you want to get an update on the news, give a newsletter word search a try!
Sports Word Search Puzzles
Sports word search puzzles are a beneficial way of learning about sports, who plays sports, and what certain sports are all about. Who knows, you might even find yourself more interested in a sport that you might not have even given much thought to before!
Movies Word Search Puzzles
Movies word search puzzles are popular puzzles on everything related to movies. There are puzzles related to:
- 1980s Fantasy Movies
- 3D Films
- ‘30s Romance Movies
- ‘70s Horror Movies
- Action Movies Of the 1980s
No matter what type of movie word search puzzle you do, you’ll come away knowing a lot more.
Culture Word Search Puzzles
Words search puzzles revolving around culture can be a useful way to learn more about the world, and these words searches aren’t only limited to where you live!
Vocabulary Word Search Puzzles
Word search puzzles on vocabulary are perfect for those who want to gain a better understanding of the English language or increase their vocabulary. Giving a word game like this a try might have you walking away using words that you have never said before.
What Are Some of The Benefits Of Word Search Puzzles?
Spelling Improvement
Word search puzzles are an effective way to increase the spelling ability of you or your child. Word searches are designed so that you have to constantly search and scan for the correctly spelled, hidden word in the puzzle. Doing this solidifies the right way to spell it in your mind because you won’t be able to find the word if it’s not spelled properly. In addition, it makes the spelling a little less mundane.
Vocabulary
Word search puzzles are also an effective way to increase your vocabulary. If English is your second language, picking up word search puzzles is a great way to lengthen your vocabulary. When doing word search puzzles, you might notice a new word, and, in the future, you might find yourself using that new word more and more.
Some word search puzzles also include how the word is used or the actual definition of it, and that makes it an even better learning tool for increasing your vocabulary.
Memory
Another benefit of word search puzzles is that they can increase your short- and long-term memory. When you look at a word in the list of words to find in the puzzle, you have to memorize how that word is spelled. If you don’t memorize it properly, you won’t be able to find the word. Through doing this over and over, you’ll soon find yourself with a larger vocabulary.
Increased Work Pace
Literacy and vocabulary aren’t the only things that word search puzzles will help with. If you do word searches often, you’ll find yourself able to think and solve problems faster. The is much like muscles in that the more you exercise your mind, the better it performs.
Persistence Increased
When you’re doing word search puzzles, you’ll find that they require a great deal of persistence. Some of them are more challenging than others, and you might find yourself having to put a complex word search puzzle down a number of times before being able to completely finish it.
Through repeatedly trying to finish the puzzle, it will teach you or your child persistence despite challenging situations. People go through many challenges throughout their lifetime, and the majority of people aren’t able to get everything right the first time they do something. The same can be said for word search puzzles.
Test-taking Improvements
Word search puzzles will help you be able to take tests better. They increase your vocabulary, problem-solving ability, grammar, and memory ability, all of which are very important for test-taking.
Self-esteem Improvement
If you’re doing a very complex word search puzzle, the sense of fulfillment that you experience after finishing it can bring you a lot of satisfaction. Breaking through challenging situations is a great way to increase your self-esteem, and the pride that people feel after finally finishing a tough word search puzzle is something that can increase confidence, as well.
Word Search Puzzles Can Be Done Anywhere
The nice thing about word search puzzles is that you can do them in dozens of different locations. You don’t have to be near a power source or USB source, and all you need is a pencil and the word search itself. Word search puzzles are also free a lot of the time. If you have a child and are traveling long distances, word search puzzles are a great way to keep them occupied for many hours.
Many restaurants have word search puzzles for children that grow impatient while they are waiting for their food to be brought to the table, and it’s a great combination of entertainment and education in the same package.
They Can Increase Your Competitive Nature
Word search puzzles might increase how competitive you or your child might be, especially if the puzzles are timed. For example: If the word that your child is trying to find is “Australia” and the winner has to find it in 30 seconds or less, then that could bring a lot of competition to the game.
Bonding For the Family
Word search puzzles are a good way for the entire family to get together and enjoy a bonding opportunity. It doesn’t matter if you’re assisting your four-year-old daughter or are just enjoying a competitive puzzle with the entire family, you’ll all be brought together in a way that is supportive and competitive at the same time.
Computer Whiz Kids
Word puzzles are a good way for kids to become more excited about words. Because they are always having to look through a puzzle for a certain word, this will increase their ability for things like computer science.
They Help You Better Understand Pattern Recognition
Doing word search puzzles is a great way for people to learn the patterns of certain words in a sentence. If you’re doing a word search puzzle that only contains words that start with a “Q,” you will quickly realize that words that start with a “Q” are always followed by an “H.” There are many different educational word puzzles that teach these components of the English language.