Uncover the Benefits of Crossword Puzzles for Online Gamers

There’s no doubt that online crosswords are a great way to spend your time, as they are challenging, fun, and entertaining all at the same time. However, do you know online crosswords are also incredibly good for you?

Yes, indeed, online crossword puzzles, just like their printed counterparts, boast a wealth of benefits and advantages from the cognitive to the social. Just keep reading to find out about the most compelling benefits below.

1. Mental Agility Boost

Do you want enhanced mental agility? Do you want to be able to switch from one topic to another quickly and easily, and do you want to be able to focus on what you choose even if there are distractions? Then you need to play more online crossword puzzles.

Indeed, crossword puzzles are the perfect activity for enhancing agility because they act like exercise for your brain. To be successful at crosswords you need to be able to not only take in the information that is provided but process it and then use recall to fetch information from your memory that helps you solve it. These cognitive acts help make the connections between neurons more robust, while also encouraging neuroplasticity, which is the ability to continue learning new things.

2. Vocabulary Expansion

Crossword puzzles are also ideal for those looking to expand their vocabulary. This is because they require the player to spell, and guess words based on certain clues. This helps not only with putting your current vocabulary to use but also in the process of learning new words because the clues provide context to help understand the meaning of the word.

Crosswords online are particularly useful for vocabulary;ry expansion because they not only ask you to remember a word or tem, but also its meaning (to solve the clue). This means you understand any vocab you learn will be much better.

Another benefit of using online crosswords to expand your vocabulary is that it can be much more fun than just learning lists of words by writing. Indeed in this study, 68 kids were given crosswords to help them learn new words. All of them did better on vocab tests after playing the crosswords, and this result was effective and all levels of achievement from the highest to the lowest performer. The participants also reported that they enjoyed using the crosswords as a learning tool.

3. Improved Memory

Once again crosswords are shown to provide significant cognitive benefits, this time in the form of improved memory. In this study participants played either online crosswords for 30 minutes four times a week, or other brand training games for the same amount of time.

The group that played online crosswords’s cognitive function including memory speed increased by 1 point after 12 weeks, and 1.5 in total after 78 weeks. This clearly shows that playing online crosswords is effective in improving memory. In fact, as medication that is currently given to Alzheimer's patients needs to improve memory function by two points, playing crosswords was almost as effective.

Another important aspect of this study was that improvement in memory continued over the long term. This is crucial because many memory issues tend to decline over time, so if playing crosswords can keep this from happening, it can be a very effective way to improve memory and maintain that improvement over the long term.

4. Stress Relief

We all need a little escape from the daily grind now and then, and online crosswords can provide the ideal amount of stress relief. This is because they offer something to focus on which helps take our mind off of the thing that is bothering us. Additionally, online crosswords are free to play, and easy to access so they don't take much effort but can provide a huge reward. Oh, and there is nothing more stress-relieving and satisfying than when you come up with the answer for a particularly tricky clue! It's pure bliss!

5. Enhanced Focus

Focus is something we all need a lot of in modern life. Yet, the irony is that in modern life there are so many things that sap our focus and make it harder to concentrate on the things that really matter. That is why activities like online crosswords that can enhance our focus can be so helpful.

The main way in which crosswords help to improve our ability to focus is that they require us to concentrate on a challenging task, flexing our focus muscles which improve as we use them. Crosswords also require us to use our executive function skills and working memory. All combined, these can create a powerful recipe for better focus and attention not only when playing crossword, but also in day-to-day life as well.

6. Learning Opportunity

Online crosswords are also a fantastic learning opportunity for people of all ages. Firstly they provide the chance to learn new terms, as we have seen above. Secondly, they allow learners to test their knowledge and understanding in a fun way. For example, if you are trying to learn words for a French test, finding an online crossword where you can enter the terms and meanings, and then solve the puzzle by reading the meanings as clues can greatly help secure this knowledge.

7. Social Engagement

You may think of crosswords as a solitary affair, but they do not have to be. Instead a crossword can be a great ice breaker or the start of a conversation where you ask the other person to help you solve a clue. Indeed, many people use crosswords this way, both in their real lives and online.

Also, there are no rules stating that you have to do a crossword alone. Instead, why not find a crossword puzzle online, and get the whole family involved over breakfast? You could even ask your friends to chip in as a fun activity to do on a break from school or work. Then not only will you benefit from spending some quality time with them, but they may just surprise you with how good at solving the clues they are too!

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.