How to Join a Crossword Puzzle Club

It's been said that there's a club for everyone and everything under the sun, from knitting fanatics to cigar aficionados. Why shouldn't the same be true for crossword puzzle connoisseurs? If you're looking for camaraderie with like-minded people who share your passion for a good crossword puzzle, then it might be time to join a crossword puzzle club.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Recognize that annual dues or subscription fees may be part of the package when you join any club, even a crossword puzzle club.
2. Make sure that you fully understand what your membership includes before you join a crossword puzzle club. It wouldn't hurt to do a little comparison shopping to get the most benefits for your membership dollar.
3. Join an online club such as the Calico Crossword Puzzle Club (see Resources below). Members have access to free online crossword puzzles, crossword-related products, and receive 5 specially designed theme puzzles each month in addition to a monthly newsletter. You can even try a sample puzzle for free before you join the club.
4. Check out the Puzzles of the Month Club, which boasts having 50,000 members (see Resources below). There are actually 3 different clubs to join, including the Large-Print Crosswords Club.
5. Consider forming your own crossword puzzle club. If you need help getting one started, visit Meetup.com (see Resources below) to create the club and wait for members in your area to join. Or, you can invite people you already know or look up site members with "crossword puzzle" in their profiles and invite them to join.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your imagination if you're going to start your own crossword puzzle club. For instance, you could host a themed crossword puzzle party each month. You could even hold a "living" crossword puzzle by giving each person a number to wear to represent words down and across. Seated members then present cards with letters printed on them to the numbered people to solve the puzzle according to the audio clues you provide.