About this puzzle
June is the month that opens summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with the longest daylight of the year arriving at the solstice. This June word search collects the season's simple pleasures, like Lemonade, Sprinkler, Hammock, Firefly, and ripe strawberries, along with the month's holidays: Flag Day, Juneteenth, and Father's Day. We also tucked in the pearl and moonstone birthstones and two birth flowers, the rose and the honeysuckle.
Juno, the Roman goddess the month is likely named after, is here too, along with June's reputation as a favorite month for weddings. The puzzle works well as a last-day-of-school handout, a summer camp quiet-time sheet, or a card add-on for dad. Each word comes with a short note below, so curious solvers learn a little about every one.
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)
- Camping
- Warm nights and long evenings make June a great time for camping, whether in a national park or in a tent set up in the backyard.
- Firefly
- Fireflies are beetles, not flies. They glow using a chemical reaction in their bellies, and each kind flashes its own pattern to find others of its species.
- Flip Flops
- Flip flops are named for the slapping sound they make against your heels. Sandals with a strap between the toes have been worn for thousands of years, including in ancient Egypt.
- Hammock
- Hammocks were used by Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and Central and South America long before Europeans arrived. The word comes from the Taino language.
- Lemonade
- A cold glass of lemonade is a classic summer drink, and lemonade stands have long been a first small business for kids.
- Picnic
- Long, warm June evenings are made for picnics. The word comes from the French pique-nique, which first described a meal where every guest brought a share of the food.
- Sprinkler
- Running through a lawn sprinkler is a cheap, easy way to cool off on a hot June afternoon, and it waters the grass at the same time.
- Strawberry
- June is peak strawberry-picking season in much of the United States, which is why June's full moon is traditionally called the Strawberry Moon.
- Summer
- Summer officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere at the June solstice, around June 20 or 21. For many kids, though, summer really starts the day school lets out.
- Sunshine
- June brings the most hours of daylight of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Sunshine helps our bodies make vitamin D, but too much can burn skin, so wear sunscreen.
- Swimsuit
- Pools and beaches open across the country in early summer. Swimsuits in the 1800s were usually made of heavy wool and covered nearly the whole body.
- Vacation
- For many American kids, school lets out in late May or June, and summer vacation begins with long days and lots of free time.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Butterfly
- Butterflies are busy in June gardens, sipping nectar from flowers. They taste with sensors on their feet, which helps them find the right plants for laying eggs.
- Fathers Day
- Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, helped organize an early celebration in 1910 to honor her father.
- Flag Day
- Flag Day on June 14 marks the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag of the United States, with 13 stars and 13 stripes.
- Graduation
- June is graduation season for many high schools and colleges. At the end of the ceremony, graduates often toss their caps high into the air to celebrate.
- Ocean
- World Oceans Day, recognized by the United Nations on June 8, celebrates the ocean, which covers about 71 percent of Earth's surface.
- Pearl
- Pearl is a June birthstone. Pearls form inside living mollusks, such as oysters and mussels, as layer after layer of shiny material builds up around a tiny irritant.
- Rose
- The rose is the traditional birth flower for June. Many roses are at their most colorful in June gardens, and the rose is the national flower of the United States.
- Sunscreen
- Sunscreen helps protect skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Doctors suggest putting it on before going outside and adding more after swimming or sweating.
Added in Hard (10)
- Alexandrite
- Alexandrite is one of June's three birthstones, along with pearl and moonstone. This rare gem seems to change color, looking green in daylight and reddish purple under lamplight.
- Diploma
- A diploma is the certificate students receive when they graduate. Many schools hold graduation ceremonies in June.
- Gemini
- People born from about May 21 to June 20 have the zodiac sign Gemini, the twins. Its two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux, are named for twin brothers in Greek myths.
- Honeysuckle
- Honeysuckle is also a June birth flower. Its sweet-smelling tube-shaped blossoms attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies looking for nectar.
- Juneteenth
- Juneteenth, June 19, remembers the day in 1865 when news reached Galveston, Texas, that enslaved people were free. It became a federal holiday in 2021.
- Juno
- June is probably named after Juno, the queen of the Roman gods. She was linked with marriage and family, which may explain why June weddings became so popular.
- Longest Day
- The June solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In places north of the Arctic Circle, the sun stays up all night around this time.
- Moonstone
- Moonstone is another June birthstone, along with pearl and alexandrite. It has a soft, glowing shimmer that seems to move as the stone is turned.
- Solstice
- The June solstice, around June 20 or 21, brings the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the start of astronomical summer.
- Wedding
- June has long been one of the most popular months for weddings, thanks to warm weather, blooming flowers, and the old connection to the goddess Juno.
A few facts to share while you solve
- On the June solstice, places north of the Arctic Circle see the midnight sun, when the Sun doesn't set at all for a full day.
- The rose was named the national flower of the United States in 1986.
- Father's Day became a permanent national holiday in the United States in 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.
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 | 13 × 13 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 15 × 15 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 30 | 17 × 17 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 12 × 12 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard june word search: all 30 words on a 17 × 17 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 june word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 12 × 12 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
What holidays are in the June word search?
The puzzle includes Flag Day on June 14, Juneteenth on June 19, and Father's Day on the third Sunday of June, plus the summer solstice and World Oceans Day. The other words cover early summer fun, end-of-school milestones, and June's birthstones and birth flowers.
Is this June word search good for the last week of school?
Yes. It is a calm, low-prep activity for those busy final days, and words like Vacation, Diploma, Camping, and Sprinkler get kids thinking about summer. It also makes a good first activity for summer camp or a summer reading program.
How can I explain Juneteenth to kids?
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Families mark it with gatherings, music, food, and learning about Black history.
Is there an answer key for this june 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.
