Word Search for Kids
Easy, printable word searches for children. Pick a topic, choose Easy, and print or solve on screen.
Making a puzzle for children
Start with a topic children love, such as animals, dinosaurs or space. Choose Easy so words only run across and down. Use a smaller grid and 6 to 8 short words for younger children.
Learning with word searches
Word searches help with spelling, letter recognition and focus. Ask children to say each word out loud as they find it, and to use it in a sentence.
Safe and simple
There is no account, no sign-up and no adverts in the printed puzzle. Everything happens in the browser.
Seasonal printables: Christmas word search pack and Thanksgiving word search pack, each with eight puzzles from easy to hard and answer keys.
More: Word Search Generator · All word search topics
How the maker handles words for children
Type or paste the words, one per line or separated by commas. The grid always shows plain capital letters, because accents, spaces, hyphens and numbers are taken out. Short words are the easiest for children to spot, and a word cannot be longer than the grid is wide. If a word does not fit, the page names it so you can pick a bigger grid.
Choosing a grid size and difficulty by age
The generator has three difficulty levels. Easy hides words only across and down, Medium adds diagonals, and Hard adds backwards words as well. The grid can be anything from 10 × 10 up to 20 × 20. A sensible starting point is a 10 × 10 grid on Easy with five to eight short words for early readers, a 12 × 12 or 14 × 14 grid on Easy or Medium for confident readers, and a bigger grid with Medium or Hard for children who enjoy a challenge. Every child is different, so print one and adjust.
Ready-made topics for children
The topic buttons fill the word box with a ready-made list, and you can edit it before you generate. Popular choices for children include animals, dinosaurs, space, ocean, fruits, colors, insects, birds, flowers, weather and school. For a holiday or season there are Christmas and Halloween lists, and there are also lists for jobs, instruments, transport and camping. You can see them all on the topics page.
Ways to use a puzzle
- Say it, find it, spell it. Read the word aloud, find it in the grid, then spell it aloud or write it on paper.
- Sentence for each word. After finding a word, the child uses it in a spoken or written sentence.
- Make one together. Let a child choose the words, such as pets, friends or favourite foods, and see how the maker hides them.
- On screen or on paper. You can solve on screen, where words are counted as they are found, or use Print / Save as PDF for a paper copy. The Show answers box is handy for a parent or teacher checking the puzzle.
Printing tips
Use Print / Save as PDF from the puzzle card. Leave Show answers unticked for the child's copy and tick it when you want an answer sheet. Check the print preview first, so you can see how the grid sits on the page.
- What age is a word search for?
- Children who can read simple words, usually around age 6 and up, enjoy easy puzzles.
- Can I use my own spelling words?
- Yes. Type this week's spelling list and generate a puzzle.
- How many words should a kids word search have?
- Five to eight words in a 10 x 10 grid is a good start for early readers. Add more words and a larger grid as confidence grows.
- Can children solve the puzzle on a tablet or phone?
- Yes. The puzzle can be solved on screen, and the page counts the words found.
- Can I add my own words?
- Yes. Type your own words into the box, one per line or separated by commas, and press Generate puzzle.