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Mother’s Day Word Search (free printable)

A free Mother’s Day word search with twenty-one words (mother, grandma, carnation, breakfast, handprint, necklace), a word bank and an answer key for mothers and special grown-ups.

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

Mother’s Day Word SearchMother’s Day Word SearchNameDateMCPLHUGRROONCAREGIVEROTOIECEACRDDGNSHKHGCGRANDMAYTEEICIHKLRKFBRIESREAFAKLNTLRDTIUSRTNITAHOUELRRDCDNHTCWNNONPAPDAIAECMVORRNNOYRHOEIIEKNCSMNNSSUUGTSEGWFIND THESE WORDSMOTHERMOMGRANDMACAREGIVERLOVEHUGFLOWERSCARNATIONROSESCARDPOEMGIFTBRUNCHCOOKIESHANDPRINTNECKLACESURPRISEGARDENTHANKSKINDNESSCARINGPuzzle 55084Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Mother’s Day Word Search: answer keyMother’s Day Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.MCPLHUGRROONCAREGIVEROTOIECEACRDDGNSHKHGCGRANDMAYTEEICIHKLRKFBRIESREAFAKLNTLRDTIUSRTNITAHOUELRRDCDNHTCWNNONPAPDAIAECMVORRNNOYRHOEIIEKNCSMNNSSUUGTSEGWPuzzle 55084Free 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 heart, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty-one words for the second Sunday in May, in a 15 by 15 grid. The answers name the people (mother, mom, grandma, caregiver), the things children make and give (card, poem, handprint, necklace, gift, cookies, flowers, carnation, roses) and the feelings (love, hug, thanks, kindness, caring, surprise). Because not every child has a mother at home, caregiver sits next to mother and grandma, and the activity invites children to think of whichever grown-up cares for them. Carnation and handprint are the long finds, and mom, love and hug are quick starts. The answer key is on page two.

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

The words to find

Mother · Mom · Grandma · Caregiver · Love · Hug · Flowers · Carnation · Roses · Card · Poem · Gift · Brunch · Cookies · Handprint · Necklace · Surprise · Garden · Thanks · Kindness · Caring

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Choose your person: before starting, tell students that “mother” can mean any grown-up who cares for them, and let them decide who the day is for.
  2. Gift card: students find the words, then use three of them in a message to their special grown-up.
  3. Flower talk: students find carnation and roses and name one more flower that blooms in May.
  4. Sort the words: students sort the answers into people, things we make or give, and feelings.
  5. Send it home: print the puzzle on the back of a card, so the grown-up can solve it with the student.

Related

Questions

What if a student does not have a mother at home?

Caregiver, grandma and mother are all in the puzzle, and the ideas invite students to choose any grown-up. Delete any word that does not fit your class, and the puzzle rebuilds.

Can I change the words?

Yes. Add words for your own families, such as abuela or nana, to the box, and the puzzle rebuilds at once. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

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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