Halloween Word Search
A Halloween word search with 10 words, from pumpkin to candy, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight spooky words for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge of 16 more. Bookmark it for next October.
Two printable Halloween puzzles
These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)
Halloween Word Search 1: Spooky Words
A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Halloween Word Search 1: Spooky Words: answer key
- BAT: row 4, column 10, down
- BOO: row 3, column 5, down
- BROOM: row 2, column 8, down
- CAT: row 1, column 7, across to the right
- MASK: row 10, column 7, across to the right
- MOON: row 5, column 4, down
- OWL: row 5, column 8, diagonally down and to the right
- WEB: row 7, column 8, diagonally down and to the right
Halloween Word Search 2: Halloween Challenge
A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Halloween Word Search 2: Halloween Challenge: answer key
- BROOMSTICK: row 5, column 4, across to the right
- CARVING: row 10, column 7, across to the left
- CAULDRON: row 14, column 4, across to the right
- COBWEB: row 2, column 4, across to the right
- CRYPT: row 7, column 5, diagonally up and to the left
- GRAVEYARD: row 5, column 15, diagonally down and to the left
- HAUNTED: row 15, column 8, across to the right
- MIDNIGHT: row 9, column 7, diagonally up and to the right
- MUMMY: row 14, column 14, diagonally up and to the left
- POTION: row 5, column 2, down
- SCARECROW: row 1, column 11, across to the left
- SHADOW: row 7, column 15, across to the left
- SPOOKY: row 3, column 3, across to the right
- TRICK OR TREAT: row 4, column 5, down
- VAMPIRE: row 13, column 12, diagonally up and to the left
- WEREWOLF: row 6, column 7, diagonally down and to the right
About this Halloween word search
Halloween falls on 31 October, so this page is most useful in the weeks before it, and it is worth bookmarking now for next year. The default list is ten Halloween words: pumpkin, ghost, spider, witch, skeleton, zombie, goblin, lantern, costume and candy. It runs from the decorations people make, to the characters people dress up as, to the treats children collect.
The easy puzzle uses eight short spooky words: bat, cat, owl, web, mask, moon, boo and broom. It is gentle enough for the youngest children. The challenge puzzle brings in vampire, werewolf, cauldron, graveyard, scarecrow and a phrase everyone knows, trick or treat, along with words for the atmosphere: midnight, shadow and spooky.
A word search is a good calm activity for a class party or a night when children are too excited to sit still. Ask students to find a word, then use it in a spooky sentence, or finish a story starter with three of the words. The generator lets you swap in your own party guests' names or costumes.
Word notes
- Pumpkin: a large orange fruit, carved into a jack-o'-lantern at Halloween.
- Goblin: a mischievous creature from folklore.
- Lantern: a case with a light inside; a jack-o'-lantern is a carved pumpkin lantern.
- Skeleton: the bones of a body, a common Halloween decoration.
- Zombie: a creature from folklore and fiction that returns from the dead.
- Costume: clothing worn to dress up as another person or creature.
- Witch: a character in folklore and stories who casts spells.
Vocabulary tip
Jack-o'-lanterns were first made from turnips in Ireland and Scotland, and the tradition moved to pumpkins in North America. It is a good talking point for a class that is carving pumpkins.
Difficulty guide
- Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 5 letters (ghost, witch and candy) to 8 letters (skeleton), 6.2 letters on average and 62 letters in all, which fills about 32% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
- Easy puzzle. 8 words of 3 to 5 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
- Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 5 to 12 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 8 of them hidden backwards or upwards. Trick or treat is 12 letters once the spaces are gone, and broomstick, graveyard and scarecrow hold common letter patterns that make false starts likely.
Ways to use it
- Ask students to use three words from the puzzle in a short spooky story.
- At a party, hand out the puzzle with a small prize for the first correct grid.
- To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.
- When is Halloween?
- Halloween is on 31 October each year.
- What is a jack-o'-lantern?
- A carved pumpkin with a light inside. The tradition began with carved turnips in Ireland and Scotland.
- Is there a Halloween word search for young children?
- Yes. The easy puzzle on this page has eight short words, bat, cat, owl, web, mask, moon, boo and broom, in a 10 x 10 grid.
- Can I make a Halloween puzzle with my own words?
- Yes. Type your words, one per line, then press Generate puzzle. Print with an answer key if you want one.
FAQ
Related word searches
More word search topics
Animal Word Search · Countries Word Search · Space Word Search · Food Word Search · Sports Word Search · Colors Word Search · Ocean Word Search · Dinosaur Word Search · Fruit Word Search · Vegetable Word Search · Weather Word Search · Musical Instruments Word Search · Jobs Word Search · Body Parts Word Search · School Word Search · Transport Word Search · Insect Word Search · Flower Word Search · Christmas Word Search · Thanksgiving Word Search · Halloween Word Search · Bird Word Search · Camping Word Search · Reptile Word Search · Emotions Word Search
Or make your own word search, from names, for kids or for teachers. All word search topics.