The next time you stop by the library, ask our team for a word puzzle. We can hook you up with a puzzle that is just right for your age and solving level. The library doesn’t charge for printing, so all you need to provide is the pencil.
The crossword is by far the most common. Yet even crosswords come in different types and sizes. Most daily puzzles are 15×15 with an average of 75 words. Sunday puzzles increase to 21×21 and approximately 140 words, and the New York Times publishes a jumbo-sized crossword (~50×50) in its annual “Puzzlemania” featuring hundreds of words. For the faint of heart, you can also find minis and midis ranging from 5×5 to 10×10.
There’s a wide world of word puzzles beyond crosswords that range from mindless to mind-numbing. We’d be happy to help you explore. So whether you have the whole afternoon or a few short minutes, there’s a puzzle for you. Solve at your own pace, and seek as little or as much assistance as you like. There are no word puzzle referees, so you make your own rules. The trick is to have fun. Heck, maybe you’ll even learn something along the way.
For kids ages 8 and up, the library offers a wide variety of puzzles from Puzzlesnacks in print only. For adults, you can access free puzzles online, on your smartphone, or in print at the library:
- The Atlantic – weekday minis/midis: online
- Crosswords with Friends – daily 13×13: app
- The Daily Beast – daily 10×10: online
- Los Angeles Times – daily 15×15 & daily 5×5: online | mini
- New York Magazine – weekly Sunday puzzle: online
- Universal – daily 15×15: online
- USA Today – daily 15×15: online | app
- Vox – daily 9×9: online
- Wall Street Journal – daily 15×15: online
- Washington Post – weekly Sunday puzzle: online