10 Ideas for National Game and Puzzle Week

It's National Game and Puzzle Week! What better way to spend some time off than by having fun with the family. This week is all about celebrating the joy of playing games and solving puzzles. Whether you're looking for something to do with your family or friends, or you're wanting to take on a challenge by yourself, we've got you covered. Here are 10 ideas for how you can celebrate National Game and Puzzle Week.

1. Play a Board Game

One of the classic ways to celebrate National Game and Puzzle Week is to break out the old board games and have some family fun. From classics like Monopoly and Clue to newer favorites, there's sure to be a board game that everyone will enjoy. And if you don't have any board games at home, no worries! Many libraries have a selection of board games that you can check out for free.

2. Do a Crossword Puzzle

If you're looking for a solo activity, why not try your hand at a crossword puzzle? Crosswords are a great way to flex your mental muscles and maybe even learn some new words in the process. Here are a few to get you started.

3. Play Word Ladder

Word Ladder is a great game for kids (and adults too)! The goal is to change one word into another by only making one letter change at a time. For example, you could start with the word "cat" and end with the word "dog." Sounds easy enough, but it can be quite challenging! You can find instructions for how to play here

4. Do a Jigsaw Puzzle

Puzzles are another great activity for National Game and Puzzle Week (or any time really). They're perfect for when you want to relax and take your mind off of things. You can find puzzles with all sorts of themes, from scenic landscapes to pop culture characters.

5. Play Sudoku

Sudoku is a logic-based puzzle that has become quite popular in recent years. The goal is to fill in the empty cells on the grid so that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains all of the numbers from 1-9 without any repeats. Sudoku can be quite addictive, so be warned! You can find Sudoku puzzles in many newspapers or online on sites like Sudoku Dragon

6. Try Your Hand at Mahjongg

Mahjongg is a tile-matching game that originated in China over 2,000 years ago. The goal is to remove all of the tiles from the board by matching pairs of identical tiles or groups of three or more tiles. While it might sound easy, Mahjongg can actually be quite challenging! You can find instructions for how to play here.

7. Play Set

Set is a card game that is all about pattern recognition. The goal is to find sets of three cards where each characteristic (color, shape, number, shading) is either all the same or all different among the three cards. Set is recommended for ages 6 and up, but it's definitely one that adults can enjoy too!

8 . Take on an Escape Room Challenge

Escape rooms have become quite popular in recent years as people look for new and exciting ways to challenge themselves (and their friends). Escape rooms are basically physical adventures where players are locked in a room and have to use clues to solve puzzles in order to escape within 60 minutes .

9 . Play Quiddler

Quiddler is a card game that is similar to Scrabble but with fewer rules . The goal is simply to spell out words using the cards in your hand . Quiddler is recommended for ages 8 and up, but adults are sure to enjoy this one too.

10 . Try Your Hand at Kakuro

Kakuro is similar to Sudoku but with numbers instead of letters . The goal is to fill in the empty cells on the grid s o that each row , column , and 3x3 box contains all o f t h e numbers from 1- 9 without any repeats .  

We hope you enjoy these 10 ideas for celebrating National Game and Puzzle Week! Whatever you end up doing, remember to have fun and challenge yourself (and maybe even learn something new).

Matt Whitman