Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Fourth of July Word Search (free printable)

A free Fourth of July word search with twenty-two words (independence, declaration, fireworks, parade, Philadelphia, Jefferson), a word bank and an answer key.

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

Fourth of July Word SearchFourth of July Word SearchNameDatePTFREEDOMSTARSBAICOLONIESOKILYCFURJBCONGRESSEESLOEAGLEHDJREXLNAADRFVLIBERTYEPBRGEEIKCLSIACBHANCOCKRKWMTIORSNRILSLREEQNROAONEAERAAHWCYOWTRETPDPATRIOTICEGRIOSENTPAIROOJMRPCDALXEMTCKGGTPHILADELPHIASSUMMERJEFFERSONZAINDEPENDENCENFIND THESE WORDSINDEPENDENCEFREEDOMLIBERTYFIREWORKSSPARKLERSPARADEPICNICFLAGEAGLECOLONIESDECLARATIONJEFFERSONHANCOCKPHILADELPHIACONGRESSPATRIOTICCELEBRATEANTHEMBANNERSTRIPESSTARSSUMMERPuzzle 982Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Fourth of July Word Search: answer keyFourth of July Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.PTFREEDOMSTARSBAICOLONIESOKILYCFURJBCONGRESSEESLOEAGLEHDJREXLNAADRFVLIBERTYEPBRGEEIKCLSIACBHANCOCKRKWMTIORSNRILSLREEQNROAONEAERAAHWCYOWTRETPDPATRIOTICEGRIOSENTPAIROOJMRPCDALXEMTCKGGTPHILADELPHIASSUMMERJEFFERSONZAINDEPENDENCENPuzzle 982Free 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 grid, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty-two words for Independence Day, in a 15 by 15 grid. The grid holds the history (independence, declaration, colonies, Jefferson, Hancock, Philadelphia, Congress), the symbols (flag, eagle, banner, stripes, stars, anthem) and the celebration (fireworks, sparklers, parade, picnic, celebrate, patriotic, summer). Independence, declaration and Philadelphia are eleven or twelve letters, and flag, stars and eagle are short enough for second grade. It is easy to hand out in the last week of June or at a summer program, and it leads straight to a short lesson on what the Declaration of Independence said.

Grades: 2nd to 6th grade. Best in: June, July.

The words to find

Independence · Freedom · Liberty · Fireworks · Sparklers · Parade · Picnic · Flag · Eagle · Colonies · Declaration · Jefferson · Hancock · Philadelphia · Congress · Patriotic · Celebrate · Anthem · Banner · Stripes · Stars · Summer

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Before the puzzle: read the first line of the Declaration of Independence aloud and ask students to listen for words they will find.
  2. Who wrote it? Students find Jefferson and Hancock and use a book to write one fact about each.
  3. Symbol sort: students write the symbol words (flag, eagle, banner) in one column and the celebration words in another.
  4. Fireworks safety: after solving, talk through three rules for staying safe around fireworks and sparklers.
  5. Summer folder: send the puzzle home with a note on the holiday’s history and ask a grown-up to find one word with the student.

Related

Questions

What is the Declaration of Independence?

It is the document approved on July 4, 1776 that said the thirteen colonies were free from British rule. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of it, and John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, signed it in large letters.

Can I make it easier for younger students?

Yes. Delete the longest words (independence, declaration, Philadelphia), choose Easy and a 12 by 12 grid, and keep the word bank on.

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.

Nothing you do here is sent to us. Your edits stay in this browser. No sign-in, no ads.