Guess who’s got a puzzle in the March 2014 issue of Highlights?

I love it! It makes me feel current even though I’ve been out of the kidlit loop recently, writing instead for adults.

I want to get back into the kidlit loop, though, and began making puzzles this week. My writing partner, Linda, leads writing workshops during author visits to schools. In talking with teachers, she’s discovered a need for writing activities in elementary schools—a need that she (and I) can fill.

Linda crafts illustrated writing exercises targeted to specific grades and aligned with the Common Core. She sends me requests for puzzles based on various topics. For instance, this week she asked for puzzles reviewing contractions and homophones for grade 2. Okay, done!

Linda can use and share the activities during visits, and we make them available at TeachersPayTeachers.com. Together, we are Teachers Two.

In making puzzles for Linda, I realize I’ve missed making them. Mike asked if I remember how. Um…yeah! That’s in my bones, part of my DNA. He also asks if I’m going to run out of ideas for puzzles. Never! Ideas beget ideas. For every puzzle I make, I get ideas for six more.

“Do kids still do puzzles?” Mike asks. He’s a man of many questions. I think so. And if they don’t, they should.

“Should you be making your puzzles apps?” Probably.

In the meantime, however, Highlights, at least, is still publishing puzzles for kids in a print magazine. I think I’ll see if they want some more.