Word Circle Puzzles: January 2017

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Recently, in thanks for my sharing here at the FUNdoing blog, my good friend and fellow team building activity developer, Jim Cain, shared with me some of the Word Circle Puzzles he has created. Jim said I could share them with you as well. (Be sure to head over to Jim's WEBSITE and check out his "Downloadable" page - some great free resources.)

If you are new to Word Circle Puzzles HERE is a link to one of my first blog posts about them - along with a couple puzzles. (Little Known Secret: If you click on the picture at the Silent Word Circle Puzzles post it enlarges to reveal five more puzzles.) I've posted a number of Word Circle Puzzle sets over the years - use the Search tool here at the blog site to find more. Type in Word Circle Puzzles and you're off. AND, once you get hooked be sure to download the first Picture Word Circle Puzzle set - taking the puzzles to the next level. 

Here's the basic idea (if you need the gist). Using index cards and a marker, write each word of a set on a different index card. After mixing up the index cards hand them out to your group and ask them to put the words (cards) together so each one connects to the card before it and the card after it in a meaningful way. (Be sure you have the answers to the puzzles handy.)

For example, here's what can work - a compound word, a common term or phrase, or two known words, with their own meaning, that go together to make a new word and meaning. Like DOG and HOUSE each has its own meaning - putting them together into DOGHOUSE changes the two words into another word and meaning. In the end the words can be laid out (or held up by players) into a circle with no beginning or ending - it becomes a Word Circle. 

Here are 10 Word Circle Puzzles from Jim in correct order:
(Shorter puzzles are good to use as examples when groups are learning about them.)

• Switch, Yard, Light...
• Man, Power, Line...
• Book, Mobile, Phone...
• Board, Foot, Ball, Game, Over...
• Office, Party, Time, Out, Post...
• Time, Travel, Log, Book, Shelf, Life...
• River, Bank, Note, Book, Mark, Down...
• Game, Over, Time, Out, Field, Goal, Post...
• Street, Light, Post, Game, Day, Time, Out, Side...
• Race, Car, Seat, Belt, Buckle, Up, River, Rat... 

Here are four longer puzzles with the words mixed up in case you want to play a bit. The answers are below so don't scroll down too fast.

11 Words: BOOK, TRAVEL, POOL, SETTING, TIME, SMART, GUIDE, DOWN, CAR, PLAY, TABLE...

14 Words: KEY, DOOR, LUNCH, PLAY, LIGHTNING, MAN, TIME, CHAIN, POWER, STORM, BREAK, OFF, FRONT, DOWN...

20 Words: SHELF, SEAT, FENCE, ROAD, WEATHER, OVER, TAKE, GUARD, WAY, POST, BACK, WARMER, BOOK, CHANNEL, TIME, GAME, OFF, LIFE, GUIDE, OUT...

​21 Words: WEEK, WASH, BREAK, SOFA, YARD, PACE, STORE, SPRING, NOTE, WORK, CAR, SLEEPER, BOOK, DAY, TEAM, FAST, DREAM, END, LIGHT, FRONT, BED... 

PRINT-N-PLAY BONUS: I have put together the four sets of Word Circle Puzzles above (11, 14, 20, & 21 Word Puzzles) into a print-n-play PDF - just print, cut out the words (or laminate first, then cut), and you're ready to play. Here' s the bribe. Email Me (click the link for an email window) and say, "Chris, sign me up for your FUNdoing Fridays email and send me Jim's Word Circle Puzzles." If you are already on the FUN list, then you have received the PDF in my FUNdoing Friday email (delivered January 6th, 2017).

NOTE about FUNdoing Fridays: When you sign up with me you will receive a few FUN team building resources every week - on Friday. I never share emails and you can Unsubscribe easily with one click - see the link at the bottom of every Friday email. Try it out. No risk to you, just FUN. If the link above doesn't work for you, here's where to find me: chris.cavert@gmail.com

Jim, thanks for sharing with us. We love you!

Have FUN out there my friends. If you have some WORD CIRCLE PUZZLES to share, send them through the comments section below. 

All the best, 

​Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 

Word Circle Puzzle Answers:
11 Words: Book, Smart, Car, Pool, Table, Setting, Down, Play, Time, Travel, Guide...
14 Words: Front, Door, Man, Power, Lunch, Break, Down, Play, Time, Off, Key, Chain, Lightning, Storm...
20 Words: Off, Road, Way, Back, Seat, Warmer, Weather, Channel, Guide, Book, Shelf, Life, Guard, Fence, Post, Game, Over, Time, Out, Take...
21 Words: Spring, Break, Fast, Pace, Car, Wash, Day, Dream, Team, Work, Week, End, Note, Book, Store, Front, Yard, Light, Sleeper, Sofa, Bed...