Since the early 1900’s, crossword puzzles are often enjoyed by the older population – people in their early 20’s or older. However, there are many reasons why you should introduce your child to this entertaining past time – some even beyond the educational value. Here are a few reasons why you should encourage your child to solve crossword puzzles on a daily basis.
Educational
Many teachers in schools incorporate crossword puzzles into their curriculum. Why? Simply because not only are crossword puzzles fun and engaging, but they also have a high educational value. Crossword puzzles can help children with committing spelling words and definitions to memory.
Improve Problem Solving Skills
Children aren’t born problem-solvers. They need to be taught how to self-resolve problems and issues throughout their daily life. Crossword puzzles can help build upon these problem solving skills in a way many other practices cannot.
Improve Memory Skills
Keeping the brain active is one of the simplest, yet often overlooked, ways to improve your memory. Research has shown that by completing brain exercises, such as completing crossword puzzles, it helps to improve memory and concentration skills. This is because these exercises cause the brain to fire signals that “wake up” the area of the brain responsible for memory, focus, and concentration. Many leading organizations, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, are now recommending people to perform brain exercises, such as completing crossword puzzles, early in life to possibly protect your brain from certain disabling diseases. So why not introduce children to the love of crosswords while they are young, so they can appreciate them all their lives?
Enhances Vocabulary
Beyond helping children find success with spelling words, crossword puzzles can help a child develop and enhance his vocabulary. In order to complete crossword puzzles, a child needs to be able to read and understand certain phrases, as well as understand the meaning of those phrases. This encourages children to ask questions on words they may not know, or for older children – grab a dictionary and look up new words. Building and enhancing one’s vocabulary is a crucial developmental stage that will follow them throughout their life. By using crossword puzzles to help a child build his vocabulary, unknown words aren’t so intimidating because children know that it’s a game – and what child doesn’t love a fun game?
May Boost Self-Esteem
Some kids are good at science, others social studies, and still others may be good at math. But if you have a struggling achiever, it’s inevitable that these struggle areas could be affecting his self-esteem. It’s important for children to feel good about themselves, their abilities, and their accomplishments. If you have a struggling achiever, introduce them to the world of crossword puzzles. Children learn at different rates, as well as in many different ways. Tactile learners may excel at science – due to the very hands-on approach with science experiments, however visual learners often excel at crossword puzzles – due to the visual approach of learning a particular lesson. Crossword puzzles can provide a child with a sense of self-accomplishment and pride when they realize that they have correctly completed the puzzle on their own!
Crossword Puzzles are Customizable
In today’s day and age, with the help of the internet, crossword puzzles are very customizable and can be used for virtually any lesson you want to teach a child. We mentioned previously the use of crossword puzzles to help a child learn spelling words, but the purposes of crossword puzzles aren’t just limited to that fundamental development area! In fact, many teachers are using these fun puzzles in every class, including science, social studies, reading, and more. Even math teachers have been known to use crossword puzzles in their lessons to help teach children various mathematical terms and definitions. You can customize the clue words in a crossword puzzle to suit virtually any educational need. Furthermore, children as young as 6 or 7 years old can complete crossword puzzles, if the clue words are created simple enough.
Quiet Time
Let’s face it, raising children can be quite a loud job. Children can often get overly excited over just about anything! Sometimes a parent needs a little quiet time, and crossword puzzles are a great way for parents to receive that quiet time, all while providing an educational source of stimulation to the child.
In addition, crossword puzzles can keep children entertained for hours – which becomes incredibly helpful during long car rides to the beach and in doctor’s waiting rooms. Plus, with today’s technology, children can choose to complete paperback crossword puzzles, or play on their parent’s cell phones or tablets!
All in all, crossword puzzles bring more to the table than simply entertainment for children. They open a world of fun and excitement, boost self-esteem, as well as teach our children valuable skills that will follow them throughout the course of their lifetime.