If you are like me, you are always trying to get an edge over your competition.  I read a lot of books, articles, magazines, do puzzles and play games in an effort to increase my brain power.  One of the easiest and most useful tools I have found (not to mention convenient) are crossword puzzles.

The real benefit of crossword puzzles may not be so apparent – most people would consider spelling to be the primary skill you learn from crosswords.  But really, the learning doesn’t stop there: you learn problem solving skills, learn about history, current events, celebrities, music, etc.  To be honest the possibilities are endless.  In fact, studies have shown that people who do some sort of mind puzzle daily are more likely to retain or even increase their cognitive abilities later in life.

Convenience also makes this brain challenging tool so much more attractive than other learning tasks.  I can do a crossword on the bus, on a plane ride, at breakfast, and even on my break at work.  Also, there is not much setup involved – either I can do the one in the newspaper, in a crossword book, or even do printable crossword puzzles I found online.

If you do crossword puzzles for a long time, you may feel that you have what it takes to make your own puzzles.  Take it from me, doing it on paper doesn’t look so pretty.  I did manage to find a free online crossword puzzle maker that was easy to use, and did infact create some nice, professional looking puzzles.