English · Grades 1–6
Free word search printables
Eight free printable word search puzzles, each with an answer key: animals, colors, fruits and vegetables and school on easy 12 x 12 grids with forwards-only words, and weather, sports, space and ocean on 15 x 15 grids where words also run backwards and diagonally. 12 to 14 words a puzzle.
Animals word search (12 x 12, 12 words)
12 animals words hidden in a 12 x 12 grid, across, down and diagonally, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
Colors word search (12 x 12, 12 words)
12 colors words hidden in a 12 x 12 grid, across, down and diagonally, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
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Fruits and vegetables word search (12 x 12, 12 words)
12 fruits and vegetables words hidden in a 12 x 12 grid, across, down and diagonally, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
School word search (12 x 12, 12 words)
12 school words hidden in a 12 x 12 grid, across, down and diagonally, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
Weather word search (15 x 15, 14 words)
14 weather words hidden in a 15 x 15 grid, including diagonal and backwards words, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
Sports word search (15 x 15, 14 words)
14 sports words hidden in a 15 x 15 grid, including diagonal and backwards words, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
Space word search (15 x 15, 14 words)
14 space words hidden in a 15 x 15 grid, including diagonal and backwards words, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
Ocean word search (15 x 15, 14 words)
14 ocean words hidden in a 15 x 15 grid, including diagonal and backwards words, with a checklist under the grid and an answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
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A word search is a quiet ten minutes that still teaches something: children scan letter by letter, hold a spelling in their head while they hunt for it, and read every word in the theme several times. These eight printable word searches come in two levels. The first four (animals, colors, fruits and vegetables, school) use a 12 x 12 grid where words run forwards only, across, down or diagonally, so first and second graders can finish one without help. The last four (weather, sports, space, ocean) use a 15 x 15 grid with 14 longer words that also run backwards, which keeps third to sixth graders busy. Each puzzle has a checklist of words under the grid and an answer key on page 2 with every hidden word highlighted.
What's in this set
- Animals word search (12 x 12, 12 words): tiger, zebra, monkey, rabbit, elephant, giraffe, panda, horse, sheep, dolphin, eagle, frog.
- Colors word search (12 x 12, 12 words): red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray, gold.
- Fruits and vegetables word search (12 x 12, 12 words): apple, banana, cherry, grape, lemon, mango, carrot, pepper, onion, potato, tomato, broccoli.
- School word search (12 x 12, 12 words): pencil, teacher, book, desk, eraser, ruler, crayon, paper, glue, lunch, recess, science.
- Weather word search (15 x 15, 14 words): sunny, cloudy, rainbow, thunder, lightning, snowflake, tornado, hurricane, breeze, drizzle, fog, hail, forecast, humid.
- Sports word search (15 x 15, 14 words): soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, hockey, volleyball, football, golf, cycling, skating, running, wrestling.
- Space word search (15 x 15, 14 words): planet, rocket, astronaut, galaxy, comet, Saturn, Jupiter, meteor, orbit, telescope, asteroid, nebula, gravity, moon.
- Ocean word search (15 x 15, 14 words): dolphin, octopus, seahorse, coral, starfish, jellyfish, shark, whale, seaweed, lobster, turtle, crab, clam, tide.
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Getting more out of a word search
- Spelling practice. Have the child read the word list aloud before starting and cover it once they begin; finding a word from memory is harder than matching letters.
- Vocabulary. The themed lists are tiered. After the weather puzzle, ask what drizzle, humid and forecast mean; after space, which words are planets and which are not.
- Strategy for strugglers. Teach children to look for the first letter only, then check the letters around it. Rare letters (J, Q, X, Z) are the quickest way in: in the sports puzzle, GYMNASTICS is the only word with a Y after a G.
- Early finishers. Write a sentence using three of the words, or sort the list alphabetically, or find the two words that do not fit a sub-category (which animals live in water?).
- Working together. Pairs with one puzzle and two colours of pencil, taking turns, is a good settling activity after lunch.
Which level to print
The 12 x 12 puzzles have forwards-only words and short lists, which suits grades 1 and 2 and English learners. The 15 x 15 puzzles have backwards words, so a word can start at its last letter; most children are ready for that from grade 3. Nothing stops a confident second grader doing the space puzzle, and the answer key is there for anyone who gets stuck.
Frequently asked questions
What age are these word searches for?
The four 12 x 12 puzzles suit ages 6 to 8 (grades 1 and 2); the four 15 x 15 puzzles suit ages 8 to 12 (grades 3 to 6). Younger children can do the harder puzzles with an adult pointing out the first letter of each word.
Do the word searches come with answers?
Yes. Every PDF has two pages: the puzzle, and an answer key with every hidden word highlighted in colour and the checklist ticked.
Which directions do the words run?
On the four easy puzzles, words run left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally downwards. On the four harder puzzles they can also run right to left, bottom to top and diagonally upwards. The instruction line on each puzzle tells the child which.
Are the words in American or British spelling?
American. The colors puzzle uses "gray" and the title is "Colors"; the other lists have no words that differ.
Can I use these in my classroom?
Yes. All the puzzles are free for non-commercial educational use and may be photocopied for a class. Please link to this page rather than re-uploading the files.
More puzzles and literacy printables
For a seasonal set with two more word searches, a word scramble and ABC order, see the Christmas worksheets. Children who enjoy hunting for things will also like the I spy worksheets. To turn the word lists into spelling work, use the spelling worksheets and synonyms and antonyms worksheets, and for the youngest readers the sight words worksheets.
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