Alright folks, let me walk you through my little adventure with the NYT crossword puzzle for kids. You know, the one that’s supposed to be easier than the regular one? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
It all started last Sunday. I was chilling, coffee in hand, and thought, “Hey, let’s try the kids’ crossword. Should be a piece of cake.” Famous last words, right?
First thing I did was grab my tablet and navigate to the NYT Games site. Found the kids’ crossword, and BAM! There it was, staring back at me. Looked simple enough, a nice little grid with some clues. So, I dove right in.
I started with the “Across” clues because, you know, left to right feels natural. The first few were pretty straightforward. “A color” – easy, wrote in “RED.” Then, “An animal that says ‘meow’” – duh, “CAT.” Feeling pretty good about myself at this point.
But then, things started to get a little… trickier. There was one that was like, “Something you wear on your head.” I was thinking “HAT,” but it didn’t fit! Spent a good five minutes racking my brain. Finally, I figured it out – it was “CAP.” Ugh, should’ve thought of that sooner.
The “Down” clues were a mixed bag. Some were super simple, like “A number after one” – “TWO.” Others had me scratching my head. There was one about “A place to swim,” and I initially put “POOL,” but then realized it messed up one of the “Across” answers. Ended up being “LAKE.” Sneaky!
I will say, the real challenge was figuring out the theme. I had most of the grid filled, but a couple of letters were just not making sense. I stared at that puzzle for a solid ten minutes, trying to see if there were any patterns. Nada.
Eventually, I caved and did the unthinkable. I hit the “Check Puzzle” button. I know, I know, it’s cheating, but I was getting frustrated! Turns out, I had one tiny little mistake that was throwing everything off. Fixed it, and suddenly, the theme became crystal clear. It was all about different types of weather! “SUN,” “RAIN,” “SNOW” – they were all in there.
So, yeah, I finished the kids’ crossword. Did I need to cheat a little? Maybe. Did I learn something? Absolutely. Those puzzles are designed to make you think, even if they’re aimed at a younger audience. Plus, it was a fun way to spend a Sunday morning. I’ll definitely be giving it another go next week. Maybe this time, I can solve it without any help!
