Word jumble or word search puzzles are puzzles consisting of an array of letters arranged in a grid. If you just glance at such a puzzle, it will appear as a selection of randomly chosen letters, but if you look more carefully, you will notice that hidden within the array are words.
The words can be in any direction, whether that be horizontal, vertical or diagonal, and including directions that you wouldn't normally expect such as right to left or bottom to top. With the help of a jumble solver a person must find all of the words hidden within the grid.
You can find these types of puzzles in many newspapers, magazines, and even in some companies' in-house newsletters. Many children in particular enjoy doing these puzzles, so they are a good activity for children when you need a quiet, safe, indoor activity to keep them busy.
Some teachers have also found that word search puzzles can be of educational use. These types of puzzles not only reward effort and concentration, but also can expose children to new words, as well as helping them pay close attention to the exact spelling of words they already know. Jumble solvers improve a student's reading level and ability.