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Insects and Bugs Word Search (free printable)

A free insect word search with twenty-two words (ladybug, grasshopper, dragonfly, caterpillar, antennae), a word bank and an answer key for a bug and insect unit.

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

Insects and Bugs Word SearchInsects and Bugs Word SearchNameDateIOWEIIZUXINSECTHITIHLLIPIRPLIAENTERMITEETCACDAARALMJTPARADAIXCLGBUWPTAATYDUMOTHFDOLTNWEBAEECFMGHOCYTGRUESNOXOSIEMPEDPGFHSOMSENTSENIIQIIFNAQDRAGONFLYRVERLUOWFIRAYLYEEGLBICRICKETAVFVBEETLEBUTTERFLYQOEOLEZWLIPEUYKCEIGWINGSLSSFARFIND THESE WORDSINSECTANTBEEBUTTERFLYCATERPILLARLADYBUGBEETLEGRASSHOPPERCRICKETDRAGONFLYFIREFLYMOSQUITOWASPMOTHCICADATERMITEANTENNAEWINGSABDOMENCOCOONHIVENECTARPuzzle 80954Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Insects and Bugs Word Search: answer keyInsects and Bugs Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.IOWEIIZUXINSECTHITIHLLIPIRPLIAENTERMITEETCACDAARALMJTPARADAIXCLGBUWPTAATYDUMOTHFDOLTNWEBAEECFMGHOCYTGRUESNOXOSIEMPEDPGFHSOMSENTSENIIQIIFNAQDRAGONFLYRVERLUOWFIRAYLYEEGLBICRICKETAVFVBEETLEBUTTERFLYQOEOLEZWLIPEUYKCEIGWINGSLSSFARPuzzle 80954Free 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 insect words in a 15 by 15 grid: the insects themselves (ant, bee, beetle, cricket, wasp, moth, cicada, termite, mosquito, ladybug, firefly, grasshopper, dragonfly, butterfly), the parts that make an insect an insect (antennae, wings, abdomen) and the places and stages that go with them (hive, nectar, cocoon). Caterpillar and grasshopper are eleven letters and reward a careful reader, and ant, bee and moth are three-letter finds for first grade. It is a quiet companion to a read-aloud or a bug hunt on the playground, and the answer key on page two makes it easy to check.

Grades: 1st to 5th grade. Best in: April, May, September.

The words to find

Insect · Ant · Bee · Butterfly · Caterpillar · Ladybug · Beetle · Grasshopper · Cricket · Dragonfly · Firefly · Mosquito · Wasp · Moth · Cicada · Termite · Antennae · Wings · Abdomen · Cocoon · Hive · Nectar

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Bug hunt follow-up: after a walk outside, students circle the words in the puzzle that match something they saw.
  2. Count the legs: students write 6 next to every answer that names an insect and check with a book, then notice that spiders are not on the list.
  3. Life cycle: students find caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly and put them in order with a drawing of each stage.
  4. Alphabetize: students copy the twenty-two words in alphabetical order, a good second-grade skill check.
  5. Quiet start: leave the puzzle on desks as the arrival task on the first day of an insect unit.

Related

Questions

Why are there no spiders in the puzzle?

Spiders are arachnids, not insects, so they are left out to keep the list accurate. Add Spider to the box if your class is studying bugs in general.

Can I choose a harder puzzle?

Yes. Choose Hard and a 20 by 20 grid for backwards words, or keep Medium. The puzzle rebuilds as you change the setting.

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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