Grades 3–4
Camping Trip Word Search
Tents, lanterns, canoes and marshmallows: fourteen camping words in a 13 by 13 grid with some backwards words.
Classroom activity · Word search puzzles
Farm Animals Word Search with a Secret Message
Find thirteen farm animals, then the leftover letters spell out a secret message about life on the farm.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–3
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Topic
- Word search puzzles
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Word recognition, Spelling, Visual scanning, Topic vocabulary
What kids do
“Find the 13 farm animals: across, down or diagonally down. Then read the letters you did not use, row by row, to find the secret message.”
Printed on the sheet:
- Find these 13 words · Words go across →, down ↓ or diagonally ↘. Never backwards.
- The secret message: write the leftover letters in order, row by row
Words on this sheet
calfcowdonkeyduckgoatgoosehenhorsellamapigroostersheepturkey
Teacher tip
Have kids write the leftover letters in order to find the message.
How to use it
- Read the word list aloud together before kids start searching.
- Show kids how to look for the first letter, then check the next one.
- Model the first move or the first answer on the document camera.
Watch for
Kids circling random letters to finish fast. Ask them to read each word as they find it.
Talk about it
- Did you find words going a direction you did not expect?
- What would you change to make it harder?
Take it further
Have kids make their own word search on grid paper for a partner.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More word search puzzles
Grades 4–5
Dinosaur Names Word Search
Long dinosaur names like ankylosaurus and velociraptor hidden in all eight directions. A real challenge.
Grades 1–2
Pets Word Search
Ten pets from dog to hamster, hidden across and down in a 10 by 10 grid. Ask: which pet would you pick?
Grades 1–2
Breakfast Foods Word Search
Eggs, toast, waffles and oatmeal: ten breakfast words across and down in a 10 by 10 grid.
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