classroom · word search · free printable
Free Printable Animals Word Search
Meerkats and hedgehogs alongside the lions, in a list that sorts into mammals, birds and reptiles afterwards.
Made by the PaperCarnival team · Updated
32 hidden words · answer key included · US Letter & A4
Animals are the one topic that never needs selling to a classroom. This word search hides thirty two of them, chosen so the list is not all lions and elephants: the meerkat and the hedgehog are in there alongside the rhinoceros, and the birds and reptiles hold their own against the mammals.
The spread is deliberate, because it lets the puzzle do a second job. Ask the class to find all thirty two and then sort them, mammals against birds against reptiles, or by the habitat each one belongs to, and a ten minute filler becomes the opening of a real lesson. If you would rather use local wildlife or whatever topic you are on this term, open it in the generator and type the list in.
When the last animal is found, read the unused letters row by row. They spell a fact about flamingos that most adults do not know either.
The hidden words
Every word in the puzzle, or edit the list in the generator
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Rhinoceros
- Hippo
- Zebra
- Cheetah
- Leopard
- Gorilla
- Chimpanzee
- Kangaroo
- Koala
- Panda
- Polar
- Walrus
- Penguin
- Otter
- Beaver
- Badger
- Hedgehog
- Squirrel
- Raccoon
- Antelope
- Buffalo
- Camel
- Llama
- Tortoise
- Iguana
- Flamingo
- Pelican
- Falcon
- Toucan
- Meerkat
Ways to use it
Sorting task
Ask them to find the words first, then group them: mammals, birds, reptiles. The puzzle becomes the data for the real lesson.
Habitat round
Which of these would you meet on the same day in the same place? It turns a word list into a conversation about habitats.
Zoo trip follow-up
Print it for the day after the trip and ask which ones they saw. The ones they missed are the ones worth talking about.
Free reading time
Keep a stack for the drawer. It is the safest early-finisher page there is, because everyone likes animals.
Questions
Which animals are included?
Thirty two, spread across mammals, birds and reptiles from several continents, so it works as a sorting task as well as a puzzle.
Is it too hard for younger children?
Some words are long, which is why the list sits under the grid. For a younger class, open it in the generator, shorten the list, and switch to the easy setting.
Can I use our own animals?
Yes. Open it in the generator and type your own list, local wildlife or a topic you are studying.