Celebrate clever clues, surprising words, and the puzzle that turned vocabulary into a game.
On December 21, 1913, Arthur Wynne published a diamond-shaped βWord-Cross Puzzleβ in the New York World. More than a century later, crosswords still turn vocabulary, facts, spelling, and double meanings into a game. Today, solve some clues, create a few of your own, and discover how much wonder can fit inside a little square.
π° Arthur Wynneβs first crossword was shaped like a diamond, not a square or rectangle.
by Peter H. Reynolds
Jerome collects words everywhere he finds them, from short everyday words to long words that are simply fun to say. That makes this a natural companion to Crossword Puzzle Day, where the right word can be familiar, surprising, or full of more than one meaning.
Choose an everyday word with several related meanings. Write three different crossword-style clues for your answer:
For example, if the answer were STAR:
Easy: Something that twinkles in the night sky.
Tricky: A famous performer might be called one.
Sneaky: Put this after βrockβ and you might have a celebrity.
Can you make all three clues lead to the same word?
Polysemy happens when one word has several related meanings. Think about everything your word could mean. Could it be a noun and a verb? Does it appear in a familiar phrase? Could you describe it without naming it? Start with an easy clue, then hide a little more information each time. Your challenge is to give enough information to make the clue fair without making the answer too obvious.
How much curiosity can you fit into one crossword?
We had so much fun building this one! The Great DUYW Learning Adventure Crossword packs 25 clues into one wonderfully mixed-up adventure, where Tolkien and Minecraft somehow share space with donuts, green sloths, and Oobleck.
Some clues may make you say, βI know that!β Others may leave you thinking, βWait… thatβs a real thing?β Either way, every answer opens another little door of curiosity!
As you solve, collect the letters from the specially marked squares to reveal a secret word at the heart of every DUYW Learning Adventure.
Solve it on your own, gather around as a family, or divide up the clues and see who can crack the trickiest ones. And if one stumps you, donβt worry. That might just be the clue that leads you to your next favorite fact.
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Every adventure has another path to follow. Choose a trail and see where your curiosity leads!
Arthur Wynne’s original 1913 puzzle looked surprisingly different from a modern crossword. Its grid was shaped like a diamond, the center was empty, and the letters F-U-N were already printed inside.
Take a look at Wynne’s original Word-Cross Puzzle and see how much has changed.
Wonder Challenge:
Compare the 1913 puzzle with a crossword you know today. Can you complete the puzzle?
A crossword clue can get tricky when one familiar word has several related meanings. That is called polysemy. For example, run can mean moving fast on foot, managing a business, or a liquid flowing.
Don’t confuse polysemy with homophones, such as flower and flour. Homophones sound alike but are different words.
Wonder Challenge:
Look up the word run in a dictionary. How many different meanings can you find? Which one would make the sneakiest crossword clue?
Crosswords are only one kind of word puzzle. Try a rebus, where pictures or symbols stand for words; crack a cryptogram, where letters are replaced with a secret code; or rearrange letters to solve an anagram.
You can also hunt for palindromes that read the same forward and backward, climb a word ladder by changing one letter at a time, solve a riddle, or try a charade that gives clues to different parts of a word.
Wonder Challenge:
Try one puzzle type you’ve never solved before. Which makes your brain work most differently from a crossword?
Would you rather...
Print & Plan
Keep todayβs book pick, writing prompt, family activity, and discussion ideas together in one colorful overview.
Every National Day is a starting point for curiosity! Read, write, play, and explore together as ordinary days lead to unexpected discoveries.
Follow curiosity, not the calendar. Choose the adventures that spark your interest and enjoy them whenever the time is right. β¨
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