Crossword Puzzle Maker
December 6th, 2007This doesn't have much to do with libraries, but I like crossword puzzles and thought it was neat:
A recent discussion on ME-LIBS mentioned the puzzlemaker, from Discovery Education. This website automatically generates crossword puzzles (and other types of puzzles, too) from a list of words and clues you enter.
It's fun. Not quite the New York Times puzzle, of course, but then again, I'm not quite Will Shortz.
One drawback is that it just generates the puzzle to a webpage, which you're then supposed to print out. A "play online" version would be more fun; also helpful would be a print-friendly pdf version (I had to tweak my Library 2.0 Crossword in Word before printing to pdf).
While looking for one with more output options, I found that there seems to be a lot of software to generate puzzles, but only a few are free:
- AmoredPenguin.com (also makes pdf)
- VarietyGames.com
- CrosswordPuzzleGames.com
- Teach-nology.com (not automatic - you enter the letters where you want them)
- AwesomeClipartForKids.com (not working?)
This could be used as a fun library program for kids or teens, for staff, for making an activity to go along with a book display, for local history/events/landmarks, or even for a book display on crosswords (incidentally, the first crossword puzzle was complied by Arthur Wynne and appeared in the New York World on Dec. 21st, 1913).
June 16th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Please add the free crossword puzzle maker to your list. It is located at http://www.crosswordsforteachers.com