Make Your Own Crossword Puzzle in Microsoft PowerPoint

MathBell
19 Sept 202109:30
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script provides a step-by-step guide on creating a crossword puzzle using PowerPoint. It begins with the suggestion to gather ideas and clues for a chosen topic, recommending the use of a notebook. The process involves inserting a blank slide and a table with the appropriate number of rows and columns. The table is then formatted, and words are placed starting with the longest. Gridlines are removed, and borders are added around the words. Text boxes are created for the puzzle numbers, which are strategically placed. A duplicate slide is made for a blank puzzle, and both the filled and blank puzzles are saved as images. The guide continues with inserting the puzzles into a new slide, adding clues in text boxes, and adjusting the layout for presentation. Finally, the blank puzzle is overlaid on the filled puzzle, and the filled puzzle is removed to reveal just the blank version. The result is two puzzles: one with answers for reference and one blank for solving, complete with an answer key.

Takeaways
  • 📝 Start by brainstorming topic ideas and related words for your crossword puzzle.
  • 📐 Use a notebook to jot down your clues and words to streamline the puzzle creation process.
  • 🔍 Choose a topic and related words, then insert a table in PowerPoint that fits the longest word.
  • 🎨 Customize your table with no style to allow for personalization of colors and sizes.
  • 🔄 Format the table to fit most of the page and adjust text font, size, and alignment.
  • 🔑 Place words in the table, starting with the longest, and build the puzzle around it.
  • 🚫 Remove grid lines and add a border or outline around each word for a clean look.
  • 🔢 Add small text boxes for the puzzle numbers and strategically place them around the puzzle.
  • 📚 Use your notes to quickly fill in the clues for both the 'across' and 'down' sections.
  • 🖼️ Save your completed puzzles as images and insert them into new slides for presentation.
  • 🔄 Duplicate the slide and overlay a blank puzzle to create a version without the answers for participants.
Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the PowerPoint presentation?

    -The main topic is creating a crossword puzzle with a focus on sums and differences related to addition and subtraction of elementary math.

  • What is the first step in creating a crossword puzzle?

    -The first step is to choose a topic and gather related words and clues to use in the puzzle.

  • What is suggested to help with the crossword puzzle creation process?

    -It is suggested to use a notebook or paper and pencil to jot down topic ideas, related words, and clues.

  • How do you start inserting a table for the crossword puzzle in PowerPoint?

    -You start by inserting a new blank slide, then go to the ribbon, choose 'Insert', click on 'Table', and then 'Insert Table'.

  • What is the recommended table design style for the crossword puzzle?

    -The recommended table design style is 'No Style' to allow for custom colors and formatting.

  • How do you format the cells of the crossword puzzle table?

    -You select the inside of the table, go to the 'Home' tab, and choose the desired font, text size, and text alignment.

  • What is the process for placing words into the crossword puzzle?

    -Start with the longest word and build around it using the letters already included, then continue to add on additional words.

  • How do you remove grid lines from the table in PowerPoint?

    -Select the table, go to the 'Table Design' ribbon, and choose 'Borders' then 'No Border'.

  • What is the purpose of adding small text boxes with numbers around the crossword puzzle?

    -The small text boxes with numbers are used to strategically place clues around the puzzle to guide solvers.

  • How do you create a blank puzzle from the one with words filled in?

    -Duplicate the page with the filled puzzle, select all cells inside the table, and press delete to remove the letters.

  • What is the final step in preparing the crossword puzzle for sharing or use?

    -The final step is to save both the puzzle with answers and the blank puzzle as images.

  • How do you add an answer key to the crossword puzzle presentation?

    -Create a text box for the answer key, use a red font for contrast, and fill it with the correct answers to the crossword puzzle.

Outlines
00:00
📈 Creating Crossword Puzzles in PowerPoint

This paragraph outlines the process of creating a crossword puzzle using PowerPoint. The speaker, Michelle from Math Bell, suggests preparing by noting down topic ideas, related words, and clues. The steps include inserting a table to form the puzzle grid, choosing a topic (in this case, sums and differences in elementary math), and formatting the table with colors and borders. Words are then placed starting with the longest, and the gridlines are removed while adding thicker outlines to each letter. The final step involves adding small details, such as the numbers in each cell, by creating and strategically placing text boxes for the puzzle's clues.

05:02
🖼️ Finalizing and Presenting the Crossword Puzzle

The second paragraph details the final steps in preparing the crossword puzzle presentation. It involves duplicating pages to create a blank puzzle control, deleting filled letters to leave a blank grid, and saving both the filled and blank puzzles as images. The process continues with adding blank pages for the puzzle images, inserting clues in text boxes, and adjusting the puzzle image size to fit the presentation layout. A blank puzzle is then overlaid on the filled puzzle, adjusted to fit, and sent to the back of the page before the filled puzzle is deleted, leaving just the blank puzzle behind. The presentation is completed by adding an answer key in red font, resulting in two versions of the puzzle: one with answers and one without.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle is a word game that takes the form of a square grid of white squares, separated into rows and columns by black squares. Each white square represents a letter of the alphabet, and the goal is to fill in the white squares with the correct letters to form words or phrases, as per the clues provided. In the video, the creation of a crossword puzzle is the central theme, with the process of designing and solving it being the primary focus.
💡Table
In the context of the video, a table in PowerPoint refers to the grid-like structure used to create the crossword puzzle. It is inserted as a blank slate that is then customized with rows and columns to fit the longest word in the puzzle. The table is formatted to size and styled to serve as the foundation for the crossword puzzle.
💡Topic
The topic is the central theme around which the crossword puzzle is built. In the script, the chosen topic is 'sums and differences,' which relates to addition and subtraction in elementary math. The topic influences the selection of words and clues that will be included in the puzzle, ensuring that they are relevant and educational.
💡Clues
Clues are the hints provided to help solve the crossword puzzle. They are essential for guiding the solver towards the correct answers. In the video, the presenter suggests jotting down topic ideas or related words to create clues, which are then used to fill in the crossword puzzle's across and down sections.
💡Font and Text Size
Font and text size refer to the typeface and dimensions of the text used within the crossword puzzle. In the video, the presenter discusses formatting the cells of the table to include the desired font and text size for the words that will be part of the puzzle, which affects the aesthetics and readability of the final product.
💡Text Alignment
Text alignment in the video pertains to how the text within the cells of the crossword puzzle is positioned horizontally or vertically. The presenter mentions choosing whether the letters should be aligned to the left, right, or centered within each cell, which is crucial for the neat presentation of the puzzle.
💡Grid Lines
Grid lines are the borders that divide the cells in a table or a crossword puzzle. The video script describes the process of removing these lines to create a clean look for the crossword puzzle and then adding thicker outlines around the letters to make them stand out.
💡Text Box
A text box in the context of the video is a feature in PowerPoint used to create and manipulate text separately from the table cells. The presenter uses text boxes to add numbers that correspond to the clues for each word in the crossword puzzle, which are then strategically placed around the puzzle.
💡Duplicate
Duplicating in PowerPoint means to create an exact copy of an object, slide, or element. In the video, the presenter duplicates text boxes to create multiple numbers for the crossword clues and also duplicates a slide to create a blank puzzle over the filled one, which is then used to provide a solution key.
💡Image Insertion
Image insertion involves adding visual content, such as pictures or graphics, to a slide. The video script describes inserting images of the completed and blank crossword puzzles into the presentation to build out the final page, which includes clues and a heading.
💡Answer Key
An answer key is a set of correct solutions to a puzzle or test. In the context of the video, the presenter creates two versions of the crossword puzzle: one with the answers filled in and one without, to serve as the answer key. This allows users to check their work or provides a solution for those who are stuck.
Highlights

Creating a crossword puzzle with a blank and an answer key version using PowerPoint

Suggesting the use of a notebook to jot down topic ideas and related words for clues

Inserting a new blank slide and a table to start the crossword puzzle layout

Choosing the right table dimensions based on the longest word in the puzzle

Selecting a table design, preferably a no style table for customization

Formatting the table size to fit most of the page for better visibility

Inserting words into the table starting with the longest word first

Building the crossword around the longest word using existing letters

Removing grid lines and adding borders to the words for a cleaner look

Zooming in for precision while placing small numbers in each cell

Creating text boxes for numbers and strategically placing them around the puzzle

Duplicating text boxes for a consistent look across all numbers

Ensuring text boxes are positioned correctly and manipulated for a neat layout

Duplicating the slide to create a control for the blank puzzle

Deleting letters from the table cells to create the blank puzzle

Saving both the filled and blank puzzles as images for further use

Inserting blank pages to add images of the puzzles and build an actual page with clues

Adding clues in text boxes for both the 'Down' and 'Across' sections of the crossword

Duplicating and modifying text boxes to accommodate the clues

Customizing page features for an integrated and polished final presentation

Overlaying the blank puzzle on the filled puzzle and adjusting for a perfect fit

Finalizing the presentation with an answer key in a contrasting red font

Transcripts

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Crossword PuzzlesElementary MathEducational TutorialPowerPoint GuideTable FormattingWord GamesCreative LearningInteractive TeachingMath PuzzlesTeaching ToolsVisual Aids