This National Crossword Puzzle Day is a great opportunity to sharpen your pencils, and your mind! These word-twisting word games will help you expand your vocabulary and improve your problem solving skills. A crossword is a great way to kick off your day.

The crossword puzzle was first published in the ‘New York World” newspaper on December 21, 1913. It quickly became a favorite pastime for the more savvy. Arthur Wynne was a British-born journalist and violinist who immigrated to Pennsylvania at the age of 19.

One century later, everyone who is moderately confident with their grey cells’ output is writing carbon-made capital letters every morning on a piece crumpled newspaper. One could even say that crossword puzzles and games can stimulate the brain, which is a great way to keep Alzheimer’s away (all other factors aside, mainly biological).

It is clear that keeping your mind active and learning new things can help you avoid many of the symptoms of senility. Also, a greater vocabulary is associated with better communication and better ability to communicate.

National Crossword Puzzle Day is celebrated by the cruciverbalists who present these mind-blowing challenges. You can create your own crossword puzzle online or join your local crossword tournament. There are many crossword puzzles to choose from, including acrostic and arroword as well as Finish, cipher, diagramless, and Finish. It’s a fun way to have neuron-bending, pencil-blunting, brain-bending fun!

National Crossword Puzzle Day offers a chance to sharpen your brain and enjoy the written word if you have never attempted a crossword puzzle. Participation in the international competitions, in which cruciverbalists from around the globe compete to solve crosswords in record times, is possible. Amazing linguists train as Olympic athletes by digging through dictionary after dictionary to find the most obscure and rare words. They also do multiple crosswords per day to make sure they are at their best fighting form.

Crossword contests are not for the faint of heart. The prizes and competition can get extremely fierce with prizes sometimes reaching thousands of dollars. Take this National Crossword Puzzle Day as an opportunity to explore a new hobby and broaden your vocabulary.