Need an activity to accompany your children’s article submission? Why not write a word game or puzzle. Word activities are not only fun to do, they encourage kids to think and see how interesting working with words can be. For children’s writers, word games and puzzles can help sell a piece of writing, as many editors like an activity to supplement a story or article. But word activities can also sell on their own as fillers, which are often in demand by magazine editors, or as submissions to puzzle books, educational book publishers, or websites for kids.
Not all word games and puzzles are sure sells, though. For example, an ordinary crossword puzzle might fall flat with an editor. Writing a word game that won’t land in the rejection pile requires a break from tradition – and a few other key steps.
Know What Word Games Kids Like
Coming up with a sellable word game takes time and creativity. A good way to start the process is to research what types of word games and activities for kids have sold in the past. How? Browse through old and new issues of children’s magazines and puzzle books, both online and in print. Or scan puzzle and game websites for kids. Look at how word activities have changed and evolved through the years. What’s remained popular with kids?
Then start creating. You might begin by choosing to write one of the following favorites:
- word finds
- word scrambles or jumbles
- crossword puzzles
- cryptograms
- word mazes
- matching games
- logic puzzles
- quizzes
- hidden words games
- anagrams
- word ladders
- brain teasers
- fill-in-the-blanks
- acrostics
Any of these popular word games and puzzles can win over editors – as long as the activity offers something unique and fresh. This might be in the form of the word game’s design (an apple-shaped word find on types of apples), a strategy (a cryptogram that involves using math to solve the word puzzle), a twist (a crossword puzzle with an embedded word scramble), or any other interesting variation.
Of course, coming up with an original idea for a word game or puzzle is another option for writers. Some writers have a knack for creating new word activities, while others find the task challenging. Whether you choose to write an original puzzle or a classic one, it’s always a good idea to have a publisher in mind and to check writer’s guidelines. Often, the types of puzzles and games wanted are spelled out (along with how to submit them) in the guidelines, and this can help writers devise an appropriate word activity.
Make the Word Game Relevant
When creating any word game or puzzle, keep in mind relevancy. If a magazine has a theme list, consider writing a word activity that relates to a theme. The chances of the submission selling will be greater if it’s a good fit for a specific issue. Likewise, if the activity is going to be submitted as a sidebar for an article or story, create an activity that pertains to or complements the main piece.
Holiday-themed word games and puzzles are especially popular with children's magazine editors. But when writing a word activity for a holiday issue of a magazine, make sure the activity caters to the publication’s readership (a Christmas puzzle, for example, might be perfect for a Christian magazine but not for a magazine that serves all religious backgrounds) and is submitted months (often six or more) before the holiday.
Don’t Leave Out the Fun
Games are all about fun, and that’s no different for word games. One way to make a word game fun is to add humor. Funny answers to a quiz, for example, can make kids laugh. So can an amusing anagram. Even a word game that lends itself to humorous illustrations works. What also makes games fun, though, is the pace. Every step of the activity should move the child forward and closer to solving the puzzle.
Writers must also think about whether the puzzle or word game is challenging enough for the intended age group but not too complicated. If a child has to struggle through a word game, the fun element will be lost. The same is true for a puzzle that requires little thinking to solve. Most important, the solution to the word game or puzzle has to be satisfying. If the answer to a cryptogram doesn’t make sense, kids will be let down, especially after putting effort into the puzzle.
Edit and Test Your Word Game Activity
Finally, be sure to edit your word activity. A game or puzzle that’s poorly written, contains typos, or involves confusing directions won’t have much of a chance with an editor. Like writing a story, writing word games and puzzles takes careful rewriting and editing before it’s ready to submit.
But don’t stop there. Have a child try out the puzzle and find out if it was a success. Did he or she understand it? Was it fun? Did the solution make sense? Was the child eager for more? A “yes” to these questions is a good sign that the word activity has selling potential.
So let the game writing begin! Whether you're interested in creating a single word puzzle for a children's magazine or a book of word games for an educational publisher, this worthwhile market delivers plenty of rewards for children's writers. For information on where to submit word games and puzzles for kids, consult Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market or search for puzzle publishers online.
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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