How to make a crossword a child can finish
- Choose six to ten short words your child knows and write a simple clue for each.
- Watch the grid build itself and try another layout if the words are too spread out.
- Print the puzzle page for your child and keep the answer page for checking.
Start from one topic the child knows well: farm animals, colours, the things in a lunchbox, the words from last week's spelling list or the places from a trip. Six to ten words is plenty for a first puzzle. Short answers of three to seven letters are easiest to spell, and they cross each other often, which gives young solvers a letter to start from.
Keep the clues short and concrete. For five- to seven-year-olds, describe the thing as you would to them: "It says moo", "You wear them on your feet". Readers of eight and up can take a short definition or a sentence with a gap, such as "The cat sat on the ___". Read each clue back and ask yourself whether your child could answer it without help.
Give the puzzle a title they will enjoy, like "Our zoo day" or "Mia's dinosaur crossword". It is printed at the top of the sheet, with a line for their name and the date next to it.
Making it easier or harder
For beginners, use fewer and shorter words, and put an extra hint in the clue, such as the first letter or the number of letters. You can also write the answers on a card as a word bank and let your child pick the right one for each clue. Reading the clues aloud together turns the puzzle into a reading exercise as well as a spelling one.
For confident solvers, add more words, use longer ones, and write clues that describe rather than define. A hidden solution word makes a good bonus round: once the grid is full, the circled letters spell a secret word, perhaps the name of the next family outing. If the grid looks too spread out, press the button for another layout until the words sit closer together.
Printing for small hands
The smaller the grid, the bigger its squares on paper: a puzzle of a few short words prints with squares of more than a centimetre, close to half an inch, and even the largest grid keeps them at 7 mm, wide enough for a child's handwriting. The clues are printed in two lists, across and down, with numbers that match the grid.
The answer key comes out on a separate page, so you can print only the first page for the child and keep the solution for yourself. If you would rather put the puzzle into a worksheet, a party invitation or a home-made activity book, download the puzzle and the answer key as PNG images.
Frequently asked questions
What age can children start doing crosswords?
Most children can try a simple crossword once they read and spell short words on their own, usually around six or seven. Younger children enjoy one too if an adult reads the clues aloud and helps with the spelling. The puzzle grows with them: more words, longer answers and harder clues as they get older.
How many words should a crossword for kids have?
Six to ten words suit a first crossword or a young child, and ten to twenty work well for children who already enjoy puzzles. Fewer words also make for a smaller grid with bigger squares on the printed page.
Can children make their own crossword with this generator?
Yes, and it is good spelling practice: a word has to be typed correctly to cross the others in the right places. Children can type their own words and clues, watch the grid build itself, and print the puzzle for a friend, a sibling or a parent to solve.
Do we need to sign up or download anything?
No. There is no account and nothing to install. The crossword is built in the browser, so the words a child types are not sent anywhere.
Can I make a crossword with spelling words from school?
Yes. Use the week's spelling list as the answers and write a short sentence with a gap for each one as the clue. You can paste the whole list at once, one word per line followed by its clue. Teachers will find more ideas for vocabulary lists on the crossword maker for teachers page.