Variations
What prints with the starting settings
| Paper | US Letter — 215.9 × 279.4 mm (8.5 × 11 in) |
|---|---|
| Grid | 9 × 9 squares |
| Clue area | Across and Down columns |
| Margins | 1/2″ |
| Line weight | 0.18 mm (bold 0.35 mm) |
| Print setting | Scale 100% / Actual size |
Small grid, big squares
Full-size crosswords are too dense for most classroom use. A 9 × 9 grid keeps the puzzle small enough to finish in a lesson and the squares large enough to write in comfortably. The lined Across and Down columns below the grid hold the clues, so the whole puzzle fits on one page.
Classroom ideas
- Topic vocabulary: turn this week’s science or history words into a puzzle, with definitions as clues.
- Spelling lists: use the spelling words as answers and picture or sentence clues.
- Student-made puzzles: pairs build a crossword and swap with another pair to solve.
- Language learning: clue in one language, answer in the other.
Design tips
Free-form classroom crosswords don’t need the strict symmetry of newspaper puzzles. Start with the longest word, cross the next words through shared letters, and shade the empty squares at the end. For a bigger challenge, try an 11 × 11 grid or the full 21 × 21 grid.
Printing
Print at 100% / Actual size. Grid-only pages give the largest squares for drafting a puzzle before the final copy.
More crossword grid sheets
Frequently asked questions
How big are the squares?
With clue lines on a Letter page, each square is about 17 mm, large enough for young children to write capital letters clearly.
How many words fit in a 9 × 9 grid?
A classroom puzzle usually has 8 to 14 words of three to nine letters. You don't need to fill every square; shade the unused ones.
How do I make a vocabulary crossword?
Write the longest word across the middle, cross the other words through shared letters, shade every square that isn't used, then number the starts and write a definition for each word as its clue.
Can children make their own?
Yes. Building a crossword is itself good spelling practice: children must check every letter where two words cross.
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