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Winter Word Search (free printable)

A free winter word search with twenty words (snowflake, blizzard, hibernate, evergreen), a word bank and an answer key. Print it as it is or change any word.

20 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

Winter Word SearchWinter Word SearchNameDateSVIGSETEWINTERONLNUCAOSHOVELDAOCEFYRBIYENIRAOWSHBEMSLEDEABENFCMLOUUAZIZOEIILAIHIFPIFZMEUSCARTISFEGIHLGENIKFTBBSLLRENCIOCEOEEFTBOEEHOPWLAPNRRJSOPQTLOMETASNOWBALLJDYAEBRNASCLHAGNPSNNWZLTTKDICOCOAASTEVERGREENSHGONBSKATINGIFHPLLXFIND THESE WORDSSNOWFLAKESNOWMANSLEDMITTENSSCARFICICLEBLIZZARDFROSTIGLOOPENGUINSKATINGSNOWBALLCOCOAFIREPLACEHIBERNATEEVERGREENEARMUFFSSHOVELWINTERCOLDPuzzle 42416Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Winter Word Search: answer keyWinter Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.SVIGSETEWINTERONLNUCAOSHOVELDAOCEFYRBIYENIRAOWSHBEMSLEDEABENFCMLOUUAZIZOEIILAIHIFPIFZMEUSCARTISFEGIHLGENIKFTBBSLLRENCIOCEOEEFTBOEEHOPWLAPNRRJSOPQTLOMETASNOWBALLJDYAEBRNASCLHAGNPSNNWZLTTKDICOCOAASTEVERGREENSHGONBSKATINGIFHPLLXPuzzle 42416Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key ·

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

All 20 words are in the grid, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty winter words, from short ones every first grader can find (sled, cold, frost) to long ones that reward a careful look (snowflake, hibernate, evergreen, fireplace). The words run across, down and diagonally on a 15 by 15 grid, so it is a real puzzle for second and third grade and a good early-finisher task for older students. Nothing in the list is tied to a holiday, so it fits any school. Change the difficulty to Easy for a gentler puzzle with words only across and down, or to Hard to add words that read backwards.

Grades: 1st to 5th grade. Best in: December, January, February.

The words to find

Snowflake · Snowman · Sled · Mittens · Scarf · Icicle · Blizzard · Frost · Igloo · Penguin · Skating · Snowball · Cocoa · Fireplace · Hibernate · Evergreen · Earmuffs · Shovel · Winter · Cold

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Early finishers: print a stack and keep them in a folder labeled “Done early? Try this.”
  2. Spelling check: students find each word, then write it on the back from memory and compare.
  3. Science link: ask students to sort the words into groups (clothing, weather, animals, places) after finding them.
  4. Partner race: two students get the same puzzle (same seed) and race to find all twenty first.
  5. Make it harder: turn on Backwards and use a 20 × 20 grid for fifth grade, or switch to Easy for first grade.

Related

Questions

How hard is this puzzle?

It is set to Medium: words run across, down and diagonally, never backwards. Choose Easy (across and down only) or Hard (every direction) to change it.

Can I add my class’s own words?

Yes. Edit the list in the box and the puzzle rebuilds at once. Up to 40 words fit on a sheet.

Can I change the words or the difficulty?

Yes. Edit the 20 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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