Easy Crossword Puzzles for Seniors, Printable and in Large Print

A newspaper crossword can be hard going: small squares, tiny clue text and clues built on wordplay. A good easy crossword keeps the fun of filling in the grid and drops the frustration. Here is how to find the right level, print it big, and make your own when nothing ready-made fits.

What makes a crossword easy

Difficulty in a crossword comes from three places:

• The clues. A plain definition (“Big, frilly pink flower of early summer”) is far easier than a pun or a cryptic hint.
• The grid. A small grid with fewer words is less daunting, and the squares can print larger.
• The answers. Everyday words are easier than obscure ones. Crossings help too: every letter you fill in gives a hint for the word that crosses it.

The three difficulty levels explained

Our crossword maker comes with 60 ready-made puzzles in 10 themes (Gardening, The 1950s and ’60s, Travel, Food and cooking, Sport, Animals, Holidays and Christmas, Music, U.S. geography and Movies). Each theme has two puzzles at each level.

Easy

Easy puzzles have eight answers in a small, open grid, with clues that describe the word directly. Every clue shows the number of letters, so “(5)” tells you to look for a five-letter word. This is the level to start with, whatever the solver’s experience.

Medium

Medium puzzles have more words and a bigger grid, and some clues take a little more thought. Some Medium grids are symmetrical, like a newspaper puzzle, which means more words cross each other.

Hard

Hard puzzles use full symmetrical grids of up to 15 × 15 with black squares, much like a daily newspaper crossword, and more answers. They suit regular solvers who want a longer sit-down puzzle.

Gentler than Easy

For someone who finds even the Easy puzzles too much, make your own with five or six very familiar words and the most direct clues you can write, such as “Color of the sky on a clear day: BLUE.” Doing it together, with one person reading the clues aloud, also works well.

What “large print” means here

Large print in a crossword is about two things: the squares and the clues. The grid is scaled to the page, so a small Easy grid prints with big squares and plenty of room to write. Clue text can be set to Standard (12 point), Large (15 point) or Extra large (18 point). If the solver uses reading glasses or a magnifier for the paper, start with Extra large.

How to use the crossword maker

1. Choose a puzzle: pick a theme and level, then one of the puzzles, or choose “My own words and clues.”
2. For your own puzzle, type one entry per line as ANSWER: clue, for example TULIP: Spring bulb. Answers need at least 3 letters, and you can enter up to 30.
3. Pick the clue size (Standard, Large or Extra large, up to 18 point) and the paper. “Save ink” prints without black squares.
4. Press Make crossword, check the preview, and print. Tick “Show answer key” to add the solution on its own page.

Every answer in a crossword must cross another one. If one of your words shares no letters with the others, the maker leaves it out and tells you, so you can swap it for a word with more common letters. Eight to twelve words with plenty of vowels give the biggest squares on paper. When there are too many clues to fit beside a big grid, they move to their own page so the grid can print large.

Solving tips

• Fill in the sure ones first. Go through every clue once and answer only those you know. The crossing letters make the rest easier.
• Use the letter count. The number after each clue rules out a lot of guesses.
• Write in pencil, or print a second copy so mistakes do not matter.
• Solve as a group. One person reads a clue aloud and the group calls out answers. A big printout on the table, or the puzzle on a TV, lets everyone follow.
• Take a peek. The answer key is there to keep things moving, not a sign of failure.

Play on a tablet or computer

All 60 puzzles can also be played online. Tap a square and type; tap it again to switch between across and down. Buttons let you check your answers or reveal a letter, a word or the whole puzzle, and your progress is saved on the device.

Looking for something quicker? Our guide to printable word searches for adults covers the word search maker, or see all our free printable games.

Reading the clues aloud to a group is one of several word games for seniors that need little more than a pencil or a whiteboard.

Frequently asked questions