About this puzzle
This puzzle mixes the everyday things people link with dads, like the grill, the recliner, and a well-worn toolbox, with a bit of real history. You'll find Sonora Dodd, the Washington woman who organized the first Father's Day, and Spokane, the city where it happened in 1910. Each word comes with a short note, so the puzzle doubles as a small history lesson.
Kids can work through it at the breakfast table on the big Sunday, then hand it over to Dad to see who finishes first. Teachers often use it in the last weeks of the school year alongside a card-making project. Print a few copies, or let everyone race on a phone. The hard level is a fair challenge for grown-ups.
The 30 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Card
- A card, whether store-bought or handmade, is one of the most common Father's Day gifts. Kids often write a favorite memory or a thank-you inside.
- Family
- Father's Day is really about family time, whether that means a cookout, a ball game, a movie at home, or simply sitting down to a meal together.
- Father
- The word father comes from the Old English faeder. It is related to pater in Latin and Vater in German, which all go back to the same ancient root.
- Gift
- Tools, ties, and gadgets are popular Father's Day gifts, but many dads say a handmade present or a heartfelt note means the most.
- Golf
- A round of golf is a popular Father's Day outing. The U.S. Open golf championship traditionally plays its final round on Father's Day Sunday.
- Grandpa
- Father's Day honors grandfathers too, along with stepdads, uncles, and other father figures who help raise and guide kids.
- Grill
- Grilling out is a classic way to spend the holiday. Because Father's Day falls in June, it lands right at the start of peak backyard cookout season.
- Hero
- A hero is someone admired for courage or good deeds. Kids often describe their dads this way in cards and school writing projects.
- Hug
- A simple hug is one of the most meaningful gifts a kid can give, and it costs nothing at all.
- Necktie
- The necktie is one of the most traditional Father's Day gifts in the United States, so common that it has become a running joke about predictable presents.
- Pancakes
- Pancakes are a popular holiday breakfast. Flipping them is a skill many kids learn from a parent standing at the stove.
- Toolbox
- A toolbox holds hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and other hand tools. Many people remember learning to fix things by handing tools to a parent.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Barbecue
- Barbecue usually means cooking meat slowly with low heat and smoke. The word likely comes from the Taino word barbacoa, a wooden frame for cooking or sleeping.
- Breakfast
- Breakfast in bed or a family pancake breakfast is a common way to start the day, often cooked by the kids for once.
- Coach
- Plenty of fathers volunteer as coaches for youth sports teams, teaching skills, teamwork, and how to win or lose gracefully.
- Dad Jokes
- Dad jokes are corny, pun-based jokes that make listeners groan. Example: 'I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.'
- Fishing Rod
- A long, flexible pole used with a reel and line to catch fish. A father-and-kid fishing trip is a well-loved Father's Day tradition.
- June
- Father's Day falls in June in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and many other countries.
- Picnic
- June weather makes a picnic in the park an easy way to celebrate. Packing Dad's favorite sandwich and a game to play is all it takes.
- Sunday
- In the United States the holiday is held on the third Sunday of June, a date made official by federal law in 1972.
Added in Hard (10)
- Hammock
- A hanging bed of fabric or netting slung between two supports. Hammocks were used by Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean long before Europeans adopted them for sailors' bunks.
- Lawn Mower
- Grass grows fast in early summer, so mowing is a familiar weekend chore. Edwin Budding of England patented the first push lawn mower in 1830.
- Mentor
- A mentor is a trusted guide. The word comes from Mentor, a character in Homer's Odyssey who advised Odysseus's son Telemachus.
- Nixon
- President Richard Nixon signed the law in 1972 that made Father's Day a permanent national holiday on the third Sunday of June.
- Recliner
- An armchair whose back tilts back and whose footrest pops up. The comfy recliner is a familiar symbol of a dad's day off.
- Red Rose
- Sonora Dodd suggested wearing a red rose to honor a living father and a white rose to remember a father who had died.
- Role Model
- A role model is someone whose actions others want to copy. Kids learn a lot about kindness, hard work, and patience by watching the grown-ups around them.
- Saint Joseph
- In many Catholic countries, including Spain, Italy, and Portugal, Father's Day falls on March 19, the feast day of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary.
- Sonora Dodd
- Sonora Smart Dodd organized the first Father's Day to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran who raised six children on his own.
- Spokane
- The city in eastern Washington State where the first Father's Day was celebrated, on June 19, 1910.
A few facts to share while you solve
- The first Father's Day was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, organized by Sonora Smart Dodd after she heard a Mother's Day sermon.
- Father's Day did not become a permanent national holiday in the United States until 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.
- In Spain, Italy, Portugal, and several other countries with Catholic traditions, Father's Day is celebrated on March 19, the feast day of Saint Joseph.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 14 × 14 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 30 | 16 × 16 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 10 × 10 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard father's day word search: all 30 words on a 16 × 16 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print father's day word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 10 × 10 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
Who started Father's Day?
Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, is credited with organizing the first Father's Day in 1910. She wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran who raised six children after his wife died. Her name appears on the hard level as Sonora Dodd, along with Spokane, the city where the first celebration took place.
Is this Father's Day word search good for kids to give to their dad?
Yes. Kids around 7 and up can handle the easy level on their own, and it makes a nice handmade add-on to a card. Print one copy for your child and one for Dad, then race. The harder levels add diagonal and backward words, which gives adults a real puzzle.
When is Father's Day celebrated?
In the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Father's Day falls on the third Sunday of June, so the date moves each year between June 15 and June 21. Other countries pick different days. Australia and New Zealand celebrate on the first Sunday of September, and many Catholic countries use March 19.
Is there an answer key for this father's day word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 30 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
