Space Crossword Puzzle (free printable)
A free space crossword with thirteen words and clues for grades 2 to 5: planet, orbit, comet, asteroid, astronaut, telescope, gravity and more, with an answer key.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.
All 13 words are in the crossword (13 × 14 squares).
About this set
Thirteen space words with a clue for each, written so that a second grader can solve many of them with the picture in their head and a fifth grader still has to think: the force that keeps planets in orbit, a huge group of stars, gas and dust, a bowl-shaped hole left by a crash. The clues cover the objects (Sun, Moon, comet, asteroid, Saturn), the people and tools that explore them (astronaut, rocket, telescope) and the ideas behind them (orbit, gravity, galaxy). The words cross at shared letters, so one answer helps with the next. It fits a solar system unit, a library visit or a quiet end-of-day task.
Grades: 2nd to 5th grade. Best in: January, April, May.
The words and clues
- Sun :
- The star at the center of our solar system
- Moon :
- It circles the Earth and shines at night with reflected light
- Planet :
- A large world that circles a star, like Earth or Mars
- Orbit :
- The path an object follows as it circles a planet or star
- Comet :
- An icy visitor from space with a glowing tail
- Asteroid :
- A rocky chunk smaller than a planet that circles the Sun
- Astronaut :
- A person trained to travel into space
- Telescope :
- A tool that makes faraway objects look closer
- Gravity :
- The force that pulls things toward the ground and holds planets in orbit
- Galaxy :
- A huge group of stars, gas and dust, such as the Milky Way
- Rocket :
- A vehicle that blasts off to carry people and satellites into space
- Saturn :
- The planet famous for its bright rings
- Crater :
- A bowl-shaped hole left when something crashes into a moon or planet
How to use it: five ideas
- Unit opener: students solve with no help and mark the clues they could not answer, then compare after the unit.
- Support for grade 2: keep the word bank on and let partners take turns reading the clues aloud.
- No word bank for grade 5: students solve from clues alone and use a textbook to check the rest.
- Draw the answer: for orbit and eclipse, students sketch a diagram with labels instead of writing a definition.
- Write a clue: students write a clue for Mars or Earth, trade with a neighbor and solve each other’s.
Related
Questions
Are the clues accurate?
Yes. Saturn is known for its rings, an orbit is the path around a star or planet, and a comet is an icy object with a glowing tail. If you change a clue, check it against a trusted source first.
Where are the other planets?
Thirteen words fit best on a page, and a clue for each of Mercury to Neptune would crowd out the rest of the vocabulary. The space word search and the space bingo cards list all eight planets. Add a planet and its clue to the box to put it in here.
Can I change the words and clues?
Yes. Each of the 13 lines is a word, a colon and its clue. Edit any of them, and the crossword is rebuilt with new numbers.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. The puzzle is page one and the answer key is page two.
How do I get a different layout?
Press “Make another”. The same words and clues are placed in a new arrangement, so each table can have its own puzzle.
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