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Back to School Word Search (free printable)

A free back-to-school word search with twenty-two words (backpack, pencil, cafeteria, playground, principal), a word bank and an answer key for the first week.

22 words. “Polar bear” becomes POLARBEAR. Add a clue after a colon (“snow: white flakes”) to put clues in the bank.
Grid size
Difficulty
Up to 40 letters. They fill the first leftover squares, so the letters nobody circles spell it. On the board it flies into place when the last word is found.
Sort and find: the look-alikes hide in the grid and the word bank too, so children decide which to circle.

Use this list in: bingo cards

Back to School Word SearchBack to School Word SearchNameDateOIAEPEHCEGRIYIEVTLAHSXAAMSBDYAABSKFOUSDIJNDLPYTNEOPBEIERCWNEJMDESKOAHCGTRREUKDIMPGNBTCAOGUEYORBETAAERECNECLASSROOMBLRRDFTIUINESERGWIBDOYGUOOMLNDLATOYECRAYONSLNLSADCLBSAMTEACHERSEODIBRYISLOXDAIKAREERESNPKIPHIIUGSPASRRRPTFCEQAHBELLADEDNRASIORNLTRRECESSOCMRUUSEGLAEKILETHLFRIENDSREDAPSSYFIND THESE WORDSBACKPACKPENCILERASERNOTEBOOKCRAYONSMARKERSSCISSORSRULERLUNCHBOXTEACHERCLASSROOMDESKRECESSLIBRARYPLAYGROUNDCAFETERIAPRINCIPALBELLFOLDERHOMEWORKCUBBYFRIENDSPuzzle 19907Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Back to School Word Search: answer keyBack to School Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.OIAEPEHCEGRIYIEVTLAHSXAAMSBDYAABSKFOUSDIJNDLPYTNEOPBEIERCWNEJMDESKOAHCGTRREUKDIMPGNBTCAOGUEYORBETAAERECNECLASSROOMBLRRDFTIUINESERGWIBDOYGUOOMLNDLATOYECRAYONSLNLSADCLBSAMTEACHERSEODIBRYISLOXDAIKAREERESNPKIPHIIUGSPASRRRPTFCEQAHBELLADEDNRASIORNLTRRECESSOCMRUUSEGLAEKILETHLFRIENDSREDAPSSYPuzzle 19907Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key ·

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.

All 22 words are in the apple, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty-two words from the first week of school: the supplies (pencil, eraser, crayons, markers, scissors, ruler, folder, notebook, backpack, lunchbox), the places (classroom, library, cafeteria, playground, desk, cubby) and the people (teacher, principal, friends), along with homework, recess and the bell. They are all words children see on the first day, so it works as a gentle, low-pressure activity while you sort supplies and learn names. Choose Easy and a 10 by 10 grid for kindergarten and first grade, or Medium for second grade and up. The answer key makes checking quick.

Grades: Kindergarten to 5th grade. Best in: August, September.

The words to find

Backpack · Pencil · Eraser · Notebook · Crayons · Markers · Scissors · Ruler · Lunchbox · Teacher · Classroom · Desk · Recess · Library · Playground · Cafeteria · Principal · Bell · Folder · Homework · Cubby · Friends

How to use it: five ideas

  1. First-day folder: put the puzzle in the folder students bring home so the first homework is easy and positive.
  2. Label the room: students find each place word, then write its label on a sticky note and put it on the matching spot in the room.
  3. Supply check: after finding the supply words, students check their own backpacks for each one.
  4. Quiet start: leave the puzzle on desks as the morning arrival activity so students settle as they come in.
  5. Make a rule: each student picks one word from the puzzle and writes a class rule or a hope for the year that uses it.

Related

Questions

Is this good for kindergarten?

With Easy (across and down only), a 10 by 10 grid, a short list of eight to ten words and a partner, yes. Delete the long words, such as cafeteria and playground, from the box.

Can I add my own school’s words?

Yes. Add your mascot, a teacher’s name, your specials or a room number, and the puzzle is rebuilt with them. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Can I change the words or the difficulty?

Yes. Edit the 22 words in the box, choose Easy, Medium or Hard, pick a grid size from 8 to 25 and a shape, and add a secret message if you like. The puzzle rebuilds as you change it, and any word that cannot fit is listed.

Can we play it on the board?

Yes. Press “Play on the board”: the class finds words by dragging across them or tapping the first and last letters, each find plays a note, and H gives a hint. Press F to fill the projector.

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 are placed in a new arrangement, which is handy when neighbors should not have the same puzzle.

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