Free word search maker and printables

Animal Word Search

Eight animal topics, from farm animals to dinosaurs, to print or play online.

This animal word search is a free puzzle maker that builds a word search grid from an animal topic, such as farm animals, wild animals, sea animals, dinosaurs or dog breeds. It runs in your web browser, so there is no sign-up and no download, and nothing you create is uploaded. Pick a topic, a grid size and a difficulty level, then solve the puzzle on screen or print it as a worksheet for home or class.

The page opens with the Wild animals topic on a 15×15 grid at Medium difficulty. Each new grid uses a different arrangement of the topic’s words, so you can make as many animal word searches as you need. The print panel can produce up to 20 copies at once, and each copy has its own layout.

  1. Choose a topic from the Animals group: Farm animals, Wild animals, Pets, Sea animals, Insects, Dinosaurs, Birds or Dog breeds. For an ocean animals word search, pick Sea animals.
  2. Set the Grid size: 8×8 or 10×10 for young children, 15×15 or bigger for Dinosaurs.
  3. Set the Number of words. The tool starts at a good number for your grid size, and you can change it from 4 to 60.
  4. Choose a Difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert. The hint line under the setting explains what each level changes.
  5. To use your own list, choose ‘My own words’ and type the words you want.
  6. Solve on screen. Click or tap the first letter of a word, then its last letter. With a mouse you can also drag. Use Hint to flash the first letter of an unfound word, or Show answers to outline every word.
  7. Open the Print panel. Set Copies (1 to 20), Paper size (Letter or A4) and Answer keys (Four per page or One per page). Then press Print puzzles + answer keys, Print puzzles only or Print answer keys only. To save a PDF, choose Save as PDF in the print window.
  8. Press Copy link to copy an address that opens the same puzzle again.

Each puzzle prints on its own page with a title, the size and level, Name and Date lines, the grid and a checkbox for each word. Your game is saved in this browser, so reloading the page continues it.

What animal topics are there?

There are eight animal topics: Farm animals (29 words), Wild animals (53), Pets (36), Sea animals (31), Insects (32), Dinosaurs (51), Birds (56) and Dog breeds (50). Each topic fills the grid with words from its own list, and if a topic has fewer words that fit the grid, the tool uses all that fit and says so.

Farm animals, Pets, Sea animals and Insects use short words, which makes them the best starting point for younger solvers. Wild animals, Birds and Dog breeds have longer lists and suit older players.

Every hidden word appears exactly once. A word that is part of a longer word only counts where it was placed. For example, this puzzle places WARTHOG in row 1, column 3, running diagonally down to the right. BEAVER starts in row 2, column 7 and runs left to right, and MOOSE starts in row 12, column 4 and also runs left to right.

Yes. The Dinosaurs topic uses 51 real dinosaur genus names; flying and swimming reptiles such as Pterodactyl and Plesiosaur are not dinosaurs, so they are not on the list. The names are long, so choose a 15×15 grid or bigger:

Dinosaurs (51 words): Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Spinosaurus, Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus, Apatosaurus, Brontosaurus, Compsognathus, Gallimimus, Dilophosaurus, Carnotaurus, Giganotosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Utahraptor, Deinonychus, Oviraptor, Protoceratops, Maiasaura, Hadrosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Corythosaurus, Styracosaurus, Pentaceratops, Camarasaurus, Argentinosaurus, Baryonyx, Megalosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Coelophysis, Plateosaurus, Troodon, Microraptor, Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Herrerasaurus, Psittacosaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Kentrosaurus, Amargasaurus, Sauropelta, Centrosaurus, Lambeosaurus, Saurolophus, Ouranosaurus, Suchomimus.

The difficulty levels change the rules for placing words:

  • Easy: words run left to right or top to bottom only, and they never cross.
  • Medium: words can also run diagonally down-right or up-right, but never backwards. Words may cross where letters agree.
  • Hard: words can run in all eight directions, including backwards, and may cross.
  • Expert: all eight directions are used, crossings are tried first, and the filler letters come from the hidden words, so the whole grid looks alike.

To solve faster, start with words that have an unusual letter (Q, X, Z, J, K) or a double letter (OO, LL, SS) and look for that letter first. Take the first letter of a word and check all eight neighbouring letters for its second letter. Find the longest words first and cross each one off as you go. On Hard and Expert, also read backwards and upwards.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. The tool runs in your web browser, and there is no sign-up and no download. Nothing is uploaded, and you can print as many puzzles as you need.

Is there an easy animal word search for kids?

Yes. Farm animals, Pets, Sea animals and Insects use short words. Choose Easy difficulty, where words only run left to right and top to bottom, and an 8×8 or 10×10 grid.

Yes. Use the Print panel to choose Copies, Paper size (Letter or A4) and Answer keys, then press Print puzzles + answer keys. Each copy has a different arrangement, so a class can each receive a different grid.

Yes. The Dog breeds topic has 50 words, so choose a 15×15 grid or bigger to fit more of them on the page.

Can I add my own words?

Yes. Choose ‘My own words’ and type your list, for example your class’s favourite animals. Your words stay in your browser.

How do I share the same puzzle with someone?

Press Copy link. The address holds all your settings and the seed, so anyone who opens it gets exactly the same puzzle.