Crosswords, sudoku, and word search books that won't strain your eyes. Specific picks available in Canada.
Puzzle books keep the mind sharp, but standard-size grids are brutal for anyone with low vision. Squinting at a 6×6 sudoku grid printed in 8-point type defeats the purpose of a relaxing activity. Large print puzzle books exist for every major puzzle type, and they're cheap — most run $10–18 CAD.
Crosswords are the most popular puzzle type in large print, and the selection is excellent.
120 puzzles from the NYT, printed in genuinely readable large type. These are the real deal — Monday through Saturday difficulty. The omnibus format gives you months of puzzles in one book.
~$22 CAD on Amazon.ca
300 crossword puzzles. Not all are large print, but the formatting is bigger than standard newspaper crosswords. A solid budget option if you go through puzzles quickly.
~$16 CAD on Amazon.ca
Specifically designed for seniors. Easy-to-medium difficulty, extra-large grid squares, and thick lines. Good starting point for someone getting into crosswords or someone whose vision has recently changed.
~$12 CAD on Amazon.ca
Sudoku in large print needs bigger grid squares and bolder numbers. These deliver.
Easy, medium, and hard puzzles with one puzzle per page. The numbers are big, the grids are clear, and the paper is thick enough that ink doesn't bleed through. At 1,000 puzzles, this book lasts.
~$13 CAD on Amazon.ca
Spiral-bound, which means it lies flat on a table — a real advantage when you're writing in numbers. Around 160 puzzles per volume, easy to hard.
~$10 CAD at Indigo or Amazon.ca
Curated by the New York Times puzzle editor. Clean layout, quality puzzles, reliable progression from easy to hard.
~$15 CAD on Amazon.ca
Word search is often the go-to for people with more advanced vision loss. The letters are large, there's no complex grid structure, and the activity is calming rather than stressful.
Themed word searches — animals, food, travel, history — with genuinely large letters. One puzzle per page with the answer key in the back.
~$10 CAD on Amazon.ca
The "extra large" designation here is earned — the letters are noticeably bigger than competing products. Spiral-bound for flat reading.
~$12 CAD at Indigo or Amazon.ca
Reader's Digest has been putting out large print content for decades and they know their audience. Clean design, good paper, interesting themes.
~$14 CAD on Amazon.ca
If you enjoy variety — crosswords one day, sudoku the next, a word scramble after that — these collections keep things fresh.
Crosswords, word search, sudoku, cryptograms, and trivia — all in large print. Around 200 puzzles per volume. The variety is the selling point.
~$10–$14 CAD at Indigo or Amazon.ca
Simple, enjoyable crosswords with extra-large grids. Good for someone who finds NYT puzzles too hard but still wants the crossword experience.
~$11 CAD on Amazon.ca
If someone you know prefers reading over puzzles, check out our best large print books of 2026 or the large print cookbook guide.