Turning someone's student years into clues
- Gather memories from the graduate's studies and write each one as an answer with a clue.
- Title the puzzle with the graduate's name and hide a word such as their new title if you like.
- Print copies for the party, or download the PNG images for a graduation poster.
Gather the words with the people who were there: classmates, flatmates, parents and siblings. Think of the degree subject and the thesis topic, the city and the university, the halls or the shared flat, the café where every essay was written, the exam that almost went wrong, the semester abroad, a professor's favourite phrase and the nickname nobody outside the group understands.
Write the clues as small memories rather than definitions: "Where she spent every Thursday night in second year", "What he ate for a whole exam week". Add a few clues the relatives can answer too, so that everyone at the party gets a foothold before the insiders take over.
The same works for a school graduation, with teachers, school trips, the sports team, the prom and the best friends from class. For a graduation in Italy, Spain or Brazil, write the puzzle in Italian, Spanish or Portuguese: every accented letter takes one square.
The crossword at the heart of the graduation poster
In Italy, friends traditionally make a large poster for a new graduate, the cartellone di laurea, covered in photos, funny stories, a mock biography and very often a crossword about the graduate, who has to solve it in front of everyone at the party. The same idea works for any celebration: a big board with a crossword in the middle and photos around it.
Make the puzzle here, then download it as PNG images in a zip, one per page: the empty grid with its clues, and the answer key. They are drawn at about 288 dpi, which stays sharp up to roughly A3, so you can place the puzzle on a poster layout, print it at up to that size, or glue a printed sheet onto the board. Keep the answer key for whoever has to confirm, or deny, the graduate's answers.
A hidden solution word adds a final reveal: the circled letters can spell the graduate's new title, the name of the first job, or simply CONGRATULATIONS.
Copies for the party table
To let every guest join in, print a copy for each table or each guest. Put the graduate's name and the year in the title, so it doubles as a souvenir. The puzzle prints on its own page with a line for the solver's name, and the answer key follows on a separate page.
You can work on the puzzle over several evenings: the draft is kept in your browser on this device, so it is still there when you come back to the page. Paper is US Letter by default; switch to A4 when you print in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What should I put in a graduation crossword?
Things the graduate lived through: the subject and thesis topic, the university and the city, flatmates and friends, favourite places to study or go out, a memorable exam, a semester abroad and the nicknames from those years. Mix in a few easy clues so that family members can play too.
Can I use the crossword on a graduation poster?
Yes. Download the puzzle and the answer key as PNG images and place them on your poster layout, or print the puzzle and glue it onto the board. The images are drawn at about 288 dpi, so the grid stays sharp when it is printed larger, up to roughly A3.
What is a cartellone di laurea?
It is the Italian graduation poster: a large board that friends prepare for a new graduate, full of photos, funny anecdotes, a mock biography and often a crossword about the graduate. The graduate reads it out, or solves it, in front of everyone at the party.
Does it work for a high school graduation too?
Yes. Use the school's subjects, teachers, trips, clubs and friends as answers. For a class gift, each student can contribute a word and a clue about their years together.
Can I make the graduation crossword in Italian or Spanish?
Yes. Write the words and clues in any language: each letter, including accented letters such as À, É or Ñ, takes one square, and the letters are shown in capitals the way that language writes them.