There’s a lot of information out there about crossword puzzles, and their ability to stimulate the brain. Is it all true? According to research published in the Archives of Neurology, it is.
Admittedly, there’s something lovely about doing a crossword puzzle found in the back of the daily newspaper, or an airline magazine (if someone else hasn’t gotten to it already…) but if you’ve been doing those for years, why not step it up a notch? Plenty of free crossword puzzles are available online. (Lots of printable crossword puzzles, too.)
Here are our favorite picks for online crossword puzzles:
AARP Online Crossword Puzzles
AARP offers thousands of free crossword puzzles, and has helpful features like game pause and online chat help. (If you’ve forgotten your reading glasses, you can also adjust the font size to your liking.) Registration is free and allows unlimited play. Get your friends to play and challenge them to a game, or share your scores with others in the online forum.
OnlineCrosswords.net
This site offers free printable crossword puzzles that are updated daily (actually, every few hours). Seven new crossword puzzles are offered every day, and vary from easy to hard. (Note: the first three are always the toughest.) If you prefer, you can also play online. Oh, and if you’re stumped, answers are provided with each puzzle. We won’t tell anyone.
Wheel of Fortune
If you’re a fan of Pat Sajak or Vanna White, this one’s for you. They’ve got some new twists on the crossword puzzle. In Wheel of Fortune Cubed ($1.99 for the app), they do away with the traditional crossword puzzle, and transform it into a cubed board with multiple combinations. And who doesn’t love to see Pat and Vanna in cartoon form?
NY Times Crossword
Will Shortz is the celebrity of the crossword puzzle world, and has been creating puzzles for the New York Times for nearly 15 years. (The ultimate accomplishment, as we all know, is finishing the Sunday NY Times crossword in one day. In pen.) Yes, there’s a monthly fee (but the annual fee is a better deal). Or start off with the free trial version; we guarantee you’ll be hooked. It offers features like easy mobile navigation, free tips and tricks, mini puzzles and archived puzzles dating back 20 years. If you’re a subscriber to the Times, your subscription rate is cut in half.
