Puzzling Can Help Boost Library Patrons’ Mental Wellbeing

Clue Detective is of the firm belief that puzzling can help boost wellbeing. It stands committed to help public libraries actively respond to the mental health issues left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital for people to remain connected, especially in times of isolation and lockdown, while remaining safe in their […]

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Solving crosswords at a social distance

By Asuquo Udofia Two is company, three is a crowd – and literally so these days in cities across the world because of COVID-19.  Social distancing… self-isolation… lockdown.   These terms have been added to vocabularies with the spread of the coronavirus. In many parts of the world, social distancing has meant a lockdown of […]

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Puzzling via your library aids mental health

In our new COVID world, staying connected is vital.  Puzzling via your library is a fun way that will encourage social interaction among patrons, as well as promoting a love of lifelong learning. Form a library puzzle club Catching up to solve puzzles with a group of friends (via the library) has many advantages.  Puzzles […]

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Make learning fun with a puzzle

If you have school-age children, there is nothing better than making learning fun with a puzzle.  Puzzles are great activities to supplement with their regular schoolwork and general learning.  They don’t have to stop learning just because they have left the classroom.  If you have several children at school,  having a spelling bee around the dinner […]

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Word Puzzle Games For Kids

Word  puzzle games are great to incorporate in your child’s education.  Popular games include easy crossword puzzles and word searches and many others. These can become more complex as they grow and develop their thinking, and behavioural patterns. Provide a learning challenge for kids The beauty of word puzzle games is that they always provide […]

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Crossword puzzles for ADHD sufferers

People with ADHD seem to be unable to concentrate on any one thing for very long.  They fidget, change the subject and often just get up and walk away.  Life can be very difficult for the ADHD sufferer as well as for you as their family and friends.  You have probably been looking for ways […]

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Self-Esteem Boosting Benefits of Puzzling for Kids

Did you know that puzzles are great for kids self-esteem? Solving puzzles such as crosswords is a great activity for kids to not not only help them  learn; it also helps them boost their self-esteem and mental fitness.  Best of all, it can often happen quite subconsciously, because they are having too much fun to […]

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Double Definition Cryptic Clues

by Denise Sutherland Double definition cryptic clues are a favourite of mine. They are deceptively simple. They can really confuse you, if you’re searching for the usual wordplay clues, but in fact they are quite simple. They are pretty much exactly what they say — two different definitions for a single word. These clues are […]

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Solve Codewords and Become a Morphologist

Do you like the idea of being a wartime code-breaker in Intelligence? All very hush-hush, with a constant air of intrigue and mystery; working through the clues logically, piece by piece.  Then the codeword is probably for you. It is also very satisfying to know that you are actively honing your spelling skills and boosting your […]

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The Long and Short of Cryptic Abbreviations

by Denise Sutherland One of the keys to cracking the cryptic code is learning about abbreviations. We setters use abbreviations in our clues all the time. They are used to ‘clue’ letters individually, or sometimes in pairs or triplets. Here’s an example. Say I am writing a clue for the word CICADA. One of the […]

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