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Today is National Scrabble Day, and my mind has turned to puzzles and word games. That’s right! Scrabble, the granddaddy of all word games, has its very own designated holiday, celebrated each year on April 13.
Kids think games are fun, but you can secretly help them build writing skills with word games and puzzles. I’ve gathered a bunch of resources for kids of all ages to enjoy long after National Scrabble Day is behind us.
Celebrate National Scrabble Day
In honor of National Scrabble Day, why not join the fun by engaging your family in one of these Scrabble-themed activities or projects?
Scrabble – Play the official crossword puzzle board game.- Scrabble – Play this free online version!
- Boardless Scrabble – Speed Scrabble played with just the tiles
- Anagrams – Since Scrabble players need to rearrange tiles to create words, anagrams make great practice! An anagram is a word or phrase made by transposing the letters to create another word or phrase. For instance, LAME is an anagram of MALE. The ability to choose by word length makes these online anagrams fun (and great practice) for all ages.
- Word and Letter Games – Over a dozen kid-friendly letter-matching games, Scrabble activities, Scattergories-type worksheets, and other skill-building games, activities, and printables. (This is an ESL site, but the activities also work well for native English speakers.)
- Printable Scrabble Game – Print your own board and pieces. Or, download and print these realistic “wood” tiles for FREE!
- Printable Word Scramble and Cryptogram Worksheets – Similar to anagrams, cryptograms provide practice with rearranging letters. These are arranged both by theme and grade level.
- Handmade Gifts for Scrabble Lovers – Even if you can’t actually make these crafts today, you can begin planning some serious Scrabble-themed Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and birthday gifts.
- Pinterest Scrabble Craft Ideas – Find all sorts of great ideas on Pinterest for converting Scrabble elements into photo frames, wall art, Christmas ornaments, magnets, and more!
Tap into the Benefits of Word Games
Whether you play online—or with pencil, paper, cubes, tiles, or game boards—word games are great for building vocabulary and thinking skills. Besides Scrabble, there are other favorites too! Challenge your children with some of these stimulating activities.
Popular Letter-arrangement Games
BENEFITS: Vocabulary development; improved spelling skills; cognitive and social benefits; mental stimulation
Paper and Pencil Puzzles for Word Lovers
Crossword puzzles- Acrostics
- Hangman
- Free word search puzzles
BENEFITS: Boredom busters; mental stimulation; improved brain function; better concentration; vocabulary development; improved spelling skills
Structured Games That Focus on Word Meanings
- Mad Libs – Both the paper-and-pencil variety [affiliate] and online versions such as Mad Glibs
- Scattergories
- Taboo
- Charades – Try this free online Charade Ideas Generator
- Balderdash
– Try this free online 
BENEFITS: Improved language skills; vocabulary practice; social benefits
Your children will think they’re getting a break from school to play games, but you’ll know differently. Using word games and exercises that are stimulating, educational, and fun, you’ll be helping your kids give their brains a workout!
What are your family’s favorite word games?
