About this puzzle
This puzzle is built from the things a five-year-old sees and does every school day: Crayon, Glue, and Scissors at the art table, the Alphabet and Calendar on the wall, Story Time on the rug, and Recess on the Playground. The words are short and familiar on purpose, with a few longer ones like Backpack and Lunchbox for kids who are ready to stretch.
Use this kindergarten word search during the first weeks of school to introduce classroom vocabulary, or keep it in a quiet-time folder. It also helps a nervous preschooler preview what kindergarten will be like. The notes below share a fact about each word, which can spark a short class chat once the last word is circled.
The 25 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Backpack
- A backpack carries books, folders, and lunch to school. Wearing both straps spreads the weight evenly across your back.
- Blocks
- Building with blocks teaches balance, shapes, and teamwork. The first kindergarten classrooms used special wooden blocks as learning toys.
- Book
- Kindergarten classrooms usually have a cozy book corner. Looking at picture books and listening to stories every day helps young kids build the skills they need to read.
- Crayon
- Crayons are made mostly of colored wax. Crayola crayons were first sold in 1903, in a box of eight colors that cost a nickel.
- Friend
- Making friends is one of the biggest parts of kindergarten. Sharing, taking turns, and saying kind words help friendships grow.
- Glue
- Most white school glue is a washable glue that dries clear. A few small dots work better than a big puddle.
- Paint
- Painting lets kids mix colors and see what happens. Mixing blue and yellow paint makes green, a favorite surprise at the easel.
- Pencil
- The gray center of a pencil is called lead, but it is really graphite mixed with clay. Kindergartners often start with a thick pencil that is easier to grip.
- Recess
- Recess is a break from class to play, often outside. Running, climbing, and playing games at recess help kids focus better when they return.
- Shapes
- Kindergartners learn to name and draw shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. They also hunt for shapes around them, like a round clock or a square window.
- Snack
- Many kindergartens have a short snack time in the morning or afternoon. Small, healthy snacks like fruit, cheese, or crackers help young kids keep their energy up.
- Teacher
- A kindergarten teacher helps children learn letters, numbers, and how to be a good friend. Many kids remember their kindergarten teacher for life.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Alphabet
- The English alphabet has 26 letters. The word comes from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.
- Cubby
- A cubby is a small shelf or nook where each child keeps a backpack, jacket, and things from home. Most have a name label so everyone knows whose is whose.
- Lunchbox
- A lunchbox keeps food from home safe until lunchtime. Many kids pick one with a favorite color or character on the front.
- Markers
- Washable markers are a kindergarten favorite for drawing and coloring. Pushing the cap back on until it clicks keeps the tip from drying out.
- Numbers
- In kindergarten, kids practice counting to 100, writing numbers, and adding and taking away small amounts using blocks, fingers, and pictures.
- Playground
- The playground is where recess happens, with slides, swings, and climbing bars. Taking turns on the swings is an early lesson in fairness.
- Scissors
- Kids use safety scissors with rounded tips for cutting paper. Always walk with scissors closed and pointed down.
- Story Time
- Story time is when the class gathers to listen to a book read aloud. Hearing stories helps children build vocabulary and a love of reading.
Added in Hard (5)
- Calendar
- Many kindergarten classes start the day at the calendar, naming the day, month, and weather. The word comes from Latin for the first day of the month.
- Circle Time
- Circle time is when the class gathers on the rug to sing songs, talk about the weather, and share news. Sitting in a circle helps everyone see and hear each other.
- Kindergarten
- Kindergarten is German for children's garden. Educator Friedrich Froebel chose the name in 1840 for his school for young children, a place where kids could grow like plants.
- Sharing
- Sharing means letting others use or enjoy something too, like passing the crayon box. It is one of the first social skills kindergarten teaches.
- Show and Tell
- During show and tell, a child brings something special from home and talks about it to the class. It helps kids practice speaking to a group and listening to friends.
A few facts to share while you solve
- German teacher Friedrich Froebel opened his first school for young children in 1837 and named it a kindergarten, German for children's garden, in 1840.
- The first kindergarten in the United States opened in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856, and its lessons were taught in German.
- Susan Blow opened the first public school kindergarten in the United States in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1873.
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 | 25 | 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 kindergarten word search: all 25 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 kindergarten 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
Is this word search easy enough for kindergartners?
Yes. The words are everyday classroom words, and the easy level keeps them running in simple directions on a smaller grid. Many kindergartners still need help reading the list, so pairing a child with a buddy or a grown-up works well.
When is a good time to use a kindergarten word search?
It fits the first weeks of school, when kids are learning the names of classroom supplies and routines. It also works as a summer preview for children starting kindergarten in the fall, or as a calm activity on a rainy recess day.
Is there an answer key for this kindergarten 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 25 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.
