Word search for kids: free puzzles by age and topic

The right size for each age

A word search is only fun if it can be finished. Too big, with words running backwards, and a young child gives up; too small and an older one is bored. In Yuzool's Word Search the grid size sets how many words are hidden and which directions they run, so picking a size is all you need to do.

Most children are happiest one size below what they can just about manage. Finishing a puzzle and seeing every word struck off the list is the reward; a size up can wait until the small ones feel easy.

Topics children enjoy

A topic a child already loves makes the words easier to read and more fun to find. Yuzool's 72 topics are all written for us, and 40 of them are free. These suit children especially well:

• Animals and nature: Animals, Pets, On the farm, Birds, Under the sea, Minibeasts, Dinosaurs, Trees, Flowers, In the garden.
• Stories and play: Fairy tales, Pirates, Space, Transport, Camping, The seaside.
• School words: Colours, Shapes, School, The human body, Science, Weather, Countries.
• Food: Fruit, Vegetables, Baking, Breakfast.
• Seasons and holidays: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Halloween, Christmas.

Words are everyday British English, chosen for being well known, and the puzzle maker makes sure no rude word can be read by accident in the filler letters. Word Search Pro adds 32 more topics, such as Toys and games, Horses and ponies, Polar lands and Ancient Egypt, but children have plenty to play without it.

Playing on a tablet or phone

Word Search works in the browser of any tablet, phone or computer, with no app to download and no account. That makes it easy to hand over a device without worrying about sign-ups.

• Drag along a word and the highlighter snaps to the line, so small fingers do not need to be precise. Tapping the two ends works too.
• Found words stay coloured and are struck off the list, so a child can see their progress.
• A hint rings the first letter of a word not yet found, which is often all a younger child needs.
• The magnifier shows the letters under a finger on bigger grids.
• No adverts, and it works offline once opened, which helps on journeys.

The Daily puzzle is the same for everyone, so siblings or a whole class can play the same one and compare. It starts at 10×10 on Mondays and grows to 16×16 at the weekend, so younger children may prefer to pick a topic at 8×8 instead.

Printing a word search for a child

Paper has its own appeal: a pencil, a quiet table and no screen. Any free topic can be printed, at any free size, with options that suit children:

1. Open Print from the home screen and choose a topic and size.
2. Turn on Large print for bigger letters and a bigger word list, helpful for early readers.
3. Add a name and date line if it is going to school or on the fridge.
4. Keep the answer key on a separate page for yourself, with every word ringed.

Pages are sized for A4 and US Letter, or choose Save as PDF to print later. Our printable word search maker guide goes into printing for a whole class.

Making one from their own words

A puzzle made of this week's spelling words, the names of their friends or their favourite football team is far more exciting than a ready-made one. With Make your own, type up to 40 words, choose a size (or leave it on Auto) and a difficulty, and the grid is built for you. You can print it or send it as a link to grandparents. Making your own is free at every size.

Helping without giving it away

• Suggest a special letter. "Can you find the Z in ZEBRA?" teaches the best strategy: look for the rare letter first.
• Point to a row, not a square. "It's somewhere in this line" keeps the finding theirs.
• Read the word together before they look, so they know what they are hunting for.
• Stop while it's fun. Half a puzzle today and the rest tomorrow is fine; the game saves where they left off.

Older children who want to get quicker will like our word search tips. For more logic and play for ages 2 to 8, try Tiddlebay.