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Kwanzaa Word Search (free printable)

A free Kwanzaa word search with twenty words: the seven principles in Swahili (Umoja to Imani), the symbols, and the words that go with them. A word bank and answer key are included.

21 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

Kwanzaa Word SearchKwanzaa Word SearchNameDateAPGILREKWANZAASPUFAITHAZAWADIAARLDMRIEYUISPVOIPBENDERALITYLTLOSLSBYAUHUMOJATSTWMIMGNEHKATJNEVAAAAPIMEANNOBORXJHPITARRAIIFADUCOIAYZIAKAEHIXISKRLXATMITNQTJIMUKIIOAUNLEEUGDMUJIMAGTABXKYGVTMMDRPEURNJTTYLOBOKMKEKAEFPOCREATIVITYQEUFIND THESE WORDSKWANZAAUMOJAKUJICHAGULIAUJIMAUJAMAANIAKUUMBAIMANIKINARAMKEKAMAZAOZAWADIBENDERAKARAMUSWAHILIHARAMBEEUNITYFAITHPURPOSECREATIVITYHERITAGEPuzzle 83068Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Kwanzaa Word Search: answer keyKwanzaa Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.APGILREKWANZAASPUFAITHAZAWADIAARLDMRIEYUISPVOIPBENDERALITYLTLOSLSBYAUHUMOJATSTWMIMGNEHKATJNEVAAAAPIMEANNOBORXJHPITARRAIIFADUCOIAYZIAKAEHIXISKRLXATMITNQTJIMUKIIOAUNLEEUGDMUJIMAGTABXKYGVTMMDRPEURNJTTYLOBOKMKEKAEFPOCREATIVITYQEUPuzzle 83068Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key ·

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

All 21 words are in the grid, and each one appears once.

About this set

Kwanzaa runs from December 26 to January 1, with one principle for each day. The puzzle hides the Swahili names of the seven principles (Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani), the symbols (Kinara, Mkeka, Mazao, Zawadi, Bendera), and the celebration words Karamu, Harambee and Swahili, along with English words for what they mean (unity, faith, purpose, creativity). Because the Swahili words are unusual to read, searching for them letter by letter is a good way to practice careful reading, and it works well alongside a read-aloud about the holiday.

Grades: 2nd to 6th grade. Best in: December.

The words to find

Kwanzaa · Umoja · Kujichagulia · Ujima · Ujamaa · Nia · Kuumba · Imani · Kinara · Mkeka · Mazao · Zawadi · Bendera · Karamu · Swahili · Harambee · Unity · Faith · Purpose · Creativity · Heritage

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Match the meaning: after solving, students write the English meaning next to each Swahili principle in the list.
  2. Daily principle: do one principle a day for the week and have students write how they could live it that day.
  3. Pronunciation: say each word out loud together, using a Kwanzaa picture book as your guide.
  4. Create the symbol: students draw the kinara and color the candles red, black and green.
  5. Make it harder: turn on Backwards, or use a 20 × 20 grid for 5th and 6th grade.

Related

Questions

Why does the list leave out “Kikombe cha Umoja”?

Word searches use single words, so the unity cup is left out of this puzzle. It is on the Kwanzaa bingo cards.

Who started Kwanzaa?

Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966. It celebrates African American heritage and is based on harvest festivals in many parts of Africa.

Can I change the words or the difficulty?

Yes. Edit the 21 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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