Free word search maker and printables

Children's Word Search to Print

Easy word searches for kids: short words that run only across and down, ready to print or play.

This free children’s word search to print is a puzzle maker that builds word searches right in your browser, with kid-friendly settings already chosen. It opens on a 10×10 Farm animals puzzle set to Easy, so you can print a first page straight away. You can switch to a topic such as Halloween, Seasons or Body parts, or type your own list, such as a week’s spelling words, to make an easy word search puzzle for one child or a whole class.

Nothing needs a sign-up or a download. Everything runs in the web browser. Each puzzle prints on its own page with a title, Name and Date lines, and a list of words with checkboxes, so it works as a kids word search at home, at school or for a kindergarten table.

How to make an easy word search for kids

  1. Open the page. The Farm animals topic, 10×10 grid and Easy difficulty are already set, so you can use them as they are or change them.
  2. Pick a topic from the topic menu. The kid-friendly topics come first, such as Halloween (easy), Christmas (easy), Pets and Colors.
  3. For a spelling list, choose ‘My own words’, add a Title, and type the words in the ‘Your words’ box (up to 60).
  4. Set the Grid size (8×8 suits the youngest players), the Number of words, and the Difficulty. Keep Easy for a first puzzle. The hint line under the Difficulty menu explains each level.
  5. Tick Large print for bigger letters, or open More options and set Letter case to lower case, the letters children see in books.
  6. Play on screen. Click or tap the first letter of a word, then its last letter. Use ‘Hint’ or ‘Show answers’ if someone is stuck.
  7. Open the Print panel. Set Copies (1 to 20), Paper size (Letter or A4) and Answer keys, then press ‘Print puzzles + answer keys’. To save a PDF, choose ‘Save as PDF’ in the print window.
  8. Press ‘Copy link’ to get an address that opens the same puzzle again.

With a mouse you can also drag across a word, and with the keyboard the arrow keys move and Enter or Space marks a letter. The game is saved in this browser, so reloading the page continues it.

What age can kids do word searches?

Word searches are usually used from about age 5 to 6, once children know their letters. They build letter recognition, spelling and focus. Younger children do best with an 8×8 grid and only a few words.

Scanning rows and columns for a written word is a useful exercise, but it can frustrate a child who does not yet read easily. Start small and add words as confidence grows.

How do I make a word search easy?

Easy means words run only left to right and top to bottom, and they never cross. Choose a small grid, such as 8×8 or 10×10, and keep the Number of words low. The starting number is 8 for 8×8 and 10 for 10×10; on Easy it is never more than the grid size plus 2, and you can lower it further.

Kid-friendly topics use short, everyday words of 3 to 8 letters, so they are a good place to begin. Once a child finishes an Easy puzzle without help, move up to Medium.

Can I use my child’s spelling words?

Yes. Choose ‘My own words’, type the week’s list in the ‘Your words’ box, and keep Easy with a 10×10 or 12×12 grid. Words can be separated by new lines, commas or semicolons.

Spaces, hyphens and apostrophes stay in the word list but not in the grid. ‘ice cream’ is hidden as ICECREAM, and jack-o’-lantern as JACKOLANTERN. Accents are removed in the grid, so café becomes CAFE. A word needs at least 2 letters and can be no longer than the grid. Words that are too long, too short or repeated appear under ‘Left out’ with the reason.

Can I print it for a class?

Yes. Set Copies from 1 to 20. Copy 1 is the puzzle on screen, and every copy after it has a different arrangement. If the topic has more words than fit, each copy also gets a different set of words.

Each puzzle prints on its own page with the title, the size and level, and Name and Date lines. Choose Four per page or One per page for the answer keys, or press ‘Print answer keys only’ for a teacher copy. To share one exact puzzle with a class or a newsletter, press ‘Copy link’.

If a word has an unusual letter (Q, X, Z, J or K) or a double letter (OO, LL, SS), look for that first. Take the first letter of a word and check all 8 neighbouring letters for its second letter. Find the longest words first, and cross each one off as you go.

Difficulty changes where words can hide. Medium adds diagonals down-right and up-right, but never backwards. Hard uses all 8 directions and lets words cross. Expert also tries crossings first and builds the filler from the hidden words’ own letters, so the whole grid looks alike. On every level each hidden word appears exactly once, and a word hidden inside a longer word, such as CAT in CATERPILLAR, counts only where it was placed.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. The tool is free, needs no sign-up and no download, and runs entirely in the web browser. Nothing is uploaded, and your own words never leave the browser. In a copied link they sit after the # sign, which browsers do not send to a server.

Does every printed copy have the same grid?

No. Each copy has a different arrangement of letters. If the topic has more words than fit the grid, each copy also gets a different set of words.

Why is a word listed under ‘Left out’?

The tool lists a word there when it is too long for the grid, too short (under 2 letters) or repeated. The reason is shown next to the word, so you can shorten or remove it.

Does the game save my progress?

Yes, the game is saved in the browser you are using, so reloading the page continues it. Progress is not stored on a server, so it stays on that device and browser.

What do Hint and Show answers do?

‘Hint’ makes the first letter of an unfound word flash. ‘Show answers’ outlines every word in the grid.

Can I make a puzzle for a kindergarten class?

Yes. Use an 8×8 grid, Easy difficulty and only a few words, and choose Large print for bigger letters. Print with the Name and Date lines and an answer key for yourself.

How can I send the same puzzle to my class?

Press ‘Copy link’ to get an address that holds all the settings and the seed. Anyone who opens it gets exactly the same puzzle.