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Space Word Search (free printable)

A free space word search with twenty-three words (the planets, asteroid, astronaut, telescope, gravity), a word bank and an answer key for a solar system unit.

23 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

Space Word SearchSpace Word SearchNameDateCONEEUITCWENOBLTTGRUILNHEIEMLELPUCOMETEAROCKETELESCOPECRATERPJUPITERVENUSMETEORLKTPHTTQCPASTRONAUTEGALAXYULURANUSSSFWNHEIRAMSTYTGRAVITYNTNSNSNEPTUNENCAFTMVIROMRTLBTRAABYYEEOEIOLUMRRKHOIOINSRPOSLDANONIHZFIND THESE WORDSPLANETSUNMOONSTARGALAXYCOMETASTEROIDMETEORORBITROCKETASTRONAUTTELESCOPESATELLITEGRAVITYCRATERECLIPSEMERCURYVENUSMARSJUPITERSATURNURANUSNEPTUNEPuzzle 66889Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Space Word Search: answer keySpace Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.CONEEUITCWENOBLTTGRUILNHEIEMLELPUCOMETEAROCKETELESCOPECRATERPJUPITERVENUSMETEORLKTPHTTQCPASTRONAUTEGALAXYULURANUSSSFWNHEIRAMSTYTGRAVITYNTNSNSNEPTUNENCAFTMVIROMRTLBTRAABYYEEOEIOLUMRRKHOIOINSRPOSLDANONIHZPuzzle 66889Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key ·

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

All 23 words are in the star, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty-three words for a unit on the solar system and space exploration. The eight planets are all hidden in the grid, from three-letter Mars to seven-letter Mercury, Neptune and Jupiter, alongside the Sun, the Moon and a star, the things that travel through the sky (comet, asteroid, meteor), the people and machines that explore it (astronaut, rocket, satellite, telescope) and the ideas that make it work (orbit, gravity, eclipse, crater). It is a puzzle for first through sixth grade: Easy for the younger students, Hard on a 20 by 20 grid for those who finish early.

Grades: 1st to 6th grade. Best in: January, April, May.

The words to find

Planet · Sun · Moon · Star · Galaxy · Comet · Asteroid · Meteor · Orbit · Rocket · Astronaut · Telescope · Satellite · Gravity · Crater · Eclipse · Mercury · Venus · Mars · Jupiter · Saturn · Uranus · Neptune

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Planet order: after solving, students write the eight planets in order from the Sun, using a diagram on the wall as a check.
  2. One fact each: every student picks one answer and finds a fact to share, then the class builds a fact wall.
  3. Size and distance: students sort the answers into objects that are bigger than Earth (Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune) and smaller (Moon, Mars, comet).
  4. Vocabulary cards: for orbit, gravity, eclipse and crater, students draw a picture and write a definition.
  5. Unit launch: hand it out on the first day of a space unit and ask students which words they already know.

Related

Questions

Does the puzzle include Pluto?

No. Scientists reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006, so the list shows the eight planets. Type Pluto into the box if your class studies it.

How can I make it easier for younger students?

Delete the longer words (satellite, telescope, asteroid), choose Easy and a 12 by 12 grid, and leave the word bank on.

Can I change the words or the difficulty?

Yes. Edit the 23 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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