How to Celebrate National Puzzle Day

Crosswords, number puzzles, jigsaws, brain-teasers—January 29th is the day to celebrate our national obsession with all things puzzling. Celebrate National Puzzle Day alone or with friends with these suggestions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photo
• Crossword puzzles
• Jigsaw puzzles
• X-acto knife
• Pencil
• Cardboard
• Scrabble game
• Glue
• Paper

Share the Puzzlement on National Puzzle Day

1. Stock up at the dollar store on crossword puzzle books and hand them out to everyone you meet today.

2. Challenge co-workers to complete the New York Times Daily Crossword.

3. Do the Word Search in your local newspaper.

4. Bring home a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and challenge the whole family to finish it before midnight.

5. Join the Sudoku craze. Download Sudoku or buy a book and learn a new puzzle form.

6. Visit the Puzzle Museum online (see link below) and check out its displays. Follow up with a little research on your own about puzzles.

7. Play a game of Scrabble, the classic game based on crossword puzzles.

8. Check your local library and community Web sites for special themed events. Many libraries offer fun activities for kids and adults on National Puzzle Day.

9. Donate your used jigsaw puzzles to a local hospital, prison, shelter or other organization. How many times can you do the same puzzle anyway? Why not share the fun with those who are down on their luck?

Make a Jigsaw Puzzle

10. Glue a favorite picture or photo to cardboard or card-stock backing.

11. Draw a pattern for the pieces on the reverse side of the cardboard using a pencil.

12. Use an X-acto knife to cut along the puzzle lines through both layers.

13. Carefully separate the pieces.

Tips & Warnings

• If donating puzzles, make sure that all the pieces are there! It’s frustrating to almost finish a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle only to find the last three pieces are missing.