Puzzles to Do With Your Grandchildren

Which puzzles work best with grandchildren?

The ones where sixty years' head start doesn't decide the winner. Memory match is the classic — children are quick, but grandparents are careful, and careful usually wins. Word searches share out naturally too: young eyes spot letters fast, older heads know that PARSNIP is probably lurking in the vegetable-themed grid. And Yesteryear reverses the whole board: a grandchild can look 1966 up, but you were there.

Can we play together from different houses?

Yes — because our puzzles are the same for everyone each day, sharing them needs no shared room. You do the Tuesday crossword in Torquay; your granddaughter does the same one in Toronto; then someone telephones. 'Did you get 4 Across?' is a conversation starter that never runs dry — and a far better reason to ring than 'just checking in'.

What family puzzle rituals actually stick?

The ones tied to a fixed slot and a little friendly rivalry: a Sunday-call quiz, a loosely-kept family trivia score, a word search posted in a birthday card. Pick one, keep it small, and let it become tradition on its own.

• Sunday video call, trivia together — grandchild reads the questions, everyone votes
• A running family score for the daily trivia, kept loosely and disputed loudly
• Post a printed word search in a birthday card; request it back completed
• Let the youngest work the screen while the eldest dictates answers — both feel indispensable, because both are