We’d all love if our kids had good manners right away, but it doesn’t happen often. Kids don’t know yet what’s polite and not polite. It’s up to the adults to show them. How do we teach good manners for kids, though? Through fun and personalized crossword puzzles!

Why Crosswords Help Teach Good Manners for Kids

Crossword puzzles are the new way to teach good manners to kids for three important reasons.

#1 They’re engaging

Often when attempting to teach good manners for kids, we get stuck in the question “Do you understand?” This requires a “yes” or “no” answer, but does not need actual understanding. A crossword does. To finish a crossword, kids will need to understand each question to find the correct answer.

#2 They can answer the “why” along with what

Sometimes kids don’t understand why something is important. You might tell them a million times, but telling might not stick. A crossword can list clues that answer the “why” along with the “what” of good manners.

For example, a clue might ask, “We take off our shoes in the house to keep the ____ clean.” And the answer? FLOOR. This shows kids that manners have an effect on others, so their actions have a consequence.

#3 They make manners fun

Good manners can also seem like a boring “adult” thing. A crossword will make good manners appear fun and desirable to kids. If good manners are part of a game, that means it’s something they can win!

Crosswords teach kids good manners for these three reasons. Click To Tweet

Good Manners for Kids in Crosswords

Crosswords can teach kids good manners in many ways. Before focusing on how to make good manners crosswords for your kids, take a look at these examples.

These crosswords give a good starting point for a good manners crossword puzzle. There are many ways you can personalize a good manners crossword for your kids.

Focusing on Good Manners for Your Kids

There are all kinds of good manners you’ll want to teach your kids from a simple “please” and “thank you” to compassion towards others. This list from Parents.com features 25 good manners to teach your kids.

For crosswords, you’ll want to personalize your clues based on what manners your child needs to work on. Use the list from above as a starting point. Then, think about the manners your child needs to have in each situation. Think about which good manners they already know, and which ones they need to work on.

Your crossword might focus solely on polite phrases and where they’re said. Maybe your child is good at saying “Please,” but not so great at saying “Thank you.” You could make a crossword for all the situations where your child should say “Thank you.” Some of these situations could include:

• Receiving a gift
• When someone holds a door open
• A server bringing a meal
• An invitation to someone’s house

For more good manners to teach kids, check out our “Good Manners” Pinterest board. Then, follow us on Pinterest for more ideas.

Teaching good manners will be fun for both you and your kids with crossword puzzles! Make yours today, then share it in the comments along with what good manners your kids learned.