What is the Fascination with the Mini Crossword?

What is the fascination with the New York Times Daily Mini Crossword Puzzle? I noticed that the New York Times Daily Mini Crossword Puzzle has become a popular daily activity for Needham High School students and wanted to find out why. For some context, it is a daily miniature word puzzle that can be found on the New York Times website or app. You may have seen students working on the mini crossword before. As their screens light up with white cubes and blue letters, they look attentively at their screens and type rapidly. There is a new version of the mini crossword each day, with new clues to help fill in the words. The word-based puzzle helps expand students’ vocabulary. We interviewed a couple of students to gain insight as to why they do the crossword. Without fail, every student we interviewed said something around “I enjoy a new daily challenge.” One student said “It's a good use of time when I finish my work and it exercises my brain” and “it's a good routine practice.” Ultimately, it seems that students enjoy practicing a routine and starting their day with a fun new challenge and a way to exercise their brains with a little bit of fun, which is why the New York Times Daily Mini Crossword Puzzle has become so popular!

Check out the New York Times Daily Mini Crossword here!