Being a relatively simple concept at its core, one would think that word search has been around in some form for many years. However, that’s not really the case, as word searches are less than 50 years old and came into being long after the creation of several other popular word-related games, such as crossword puzzles and scrabble.

The man credited with creating the first word search is Norman Gibat, who published them in a small local newspaper in Normal, Oklahoma devoted to classified listings called Selenby Digest. The word searches were instantly popular, and soon local teachers were requesting extra copies as activities for their students. Before long, they were being sent to other teachers outside of their district, and the word searches eventually became syndicated and appeared in newspapers around the world.

Online word searches are now plentiful and can be approached in any number of ways and formats, from the smallest bulletin boards typical of newspapers or children’s publications, to the most gigantic ones, housing dozens of words hidden among hundreds of letters. Some puzzles can only place words in forward positions, some only vertically and horizontally, while others can also place words backwards and diagonally. In some puzzles, the words do not overlap each other, which means that each letter is only used for one word or none, while others overlap.

Many different puzzle-based websites also have word search creation tools, which allow people to design their own puzzles. They can determine which words to search for, whether or not words can overlap on the board, how big the board is, and other aspects of puzzle layout and design.

Over the years, various variations of traditional puzzles have appeared. A popular variation has a hidden clue or series of words left over from letters not used in the puzzle. These letters may appear in order from top to bottom, left to right, or may have to be decoded with the use of a trivia question or clue.

Another variation changes the way you search for words. Instead of lining up the words in a straight line, the letters in the word can stick out from each other in any of 8 directions. This makes clues much harder to spot by searching for whole words and requires a more methodical approach. This format is preferred by some players, while others enjoy the whole word search process, with or without knowing what words to search for.

Word searches have always proven to appeal to children, and word searches for kids do a great job of engaging their minds, teaching them new words, and, in the case of themed crossword puzzles, showing them how different concepts and things are related. interconnected. However, whether you’re young or old, keyword searches are a fun and stress-free way to pass the time.