Pass the Puzzle

Visual Literacy/Art

Children will create a word or picture puzzle for a classmate to solve.

What You Need

• White Paper
• Pencils
• Erasers

What To Do

1. Discuss with children different kinds of picture and word puzzles they are familiar with. The list might include: What's wrong with this picture? What's hiding in this picture? How are these two pictures different? Also: word searches, connect-the-dots, mazes, and rebuses.
2. Invite children to create a picture or word puzzle from the list for a classmate to solve. Children can swap puzzles with classmates.
3. You may wish to offer tips on how to create some puzzles:
   • For connect-the-dots, children draw a picture with very light lines, then add dots along the lines, erase the lines, and number the dots. They can add some details around the dots.
   • For word searches, suggest that children make a grid measuring ten letters across and seven letters down. Children should choose words relating to a theme, hide no more than six words (backwards, forwards, across, down, or diagonally), and list the target words below the grid.
   • For rebuses, using sounds rather than exact spelling may be easier for most children. Have children think of words with the sounds of other words and letters inside them, then use plusses and minuses to add or take away parts. For example: <picture of a can> + GA + <picture of a roof> - F = ? (kangaroo)