classroom · word search · free printable
Free Printable Dinosaur Word Search
Absurdly long dinosaur names to hunt for, and a Stegosaurus fact hidden in the spare letters.
Made by the PaperCarnival team · Updated
32 hidden words · answer key included · US Letter & A4
Dinosaur names are absurdly long, and children love them for exactly that reason. This word search leans into it: brachiosaurus, velociraptor, ankylosaurus, and paleontologist, the longest word on the list and the job title every seven year old wants for about a year. Thirty two words in total, all of them real genera or real terms from the science, nothing borrowed from a film.
Finding a fourteen letter word one letter at a time is spelling practice that does not feel like spelling practice, which is the quiet reason this page earns its place in a classroom. Afterwards, ask the class to sort the dinosaurs into herbivores and carnivores and let the argument run. If you want a shorter list, open it in the generator and trim it.
There is a Stegosaurus fact hidden in the spare letters, read in rows from the top left, and it tends to get repeated at home over dinner.
The hidden words
Every word in the puzzle, or edit the list in the generator
- Stegosaurus
- Triceratops
- Brachiosaurus
- Velociraptor
- Ankylosaurus
- Diplodocus
- Iguanodon
- Allosaurus
- Pterosaur
- Fossil
- Skeleton
- Skull
- Ribcage
- Claws
- Talons
- Spikes
- Plates
- Horns
- Frill
- Tail
- Herbivore
- Carnivore
- Predator
- Extinct
- Jurassic
- Triassic
- Cretaceous
- Paleontologist
- Excavation
- Amber
- Volcano
- Footprint
Ways to use it
Herbivore or carnivore
Find the dinosaurs first, then sort them into what they ate. It is the argument every dinosaur lesson is actually about.
Museum follow-up
Print it for the day after the museum. Circle every skeleton they stood in front of.
Party table
A dinosaur party needs a quiet ten minutes somewhere in the middle. Put a stack on the table with the pencils.
Long-word practice
Paleontologist and brachiosaurus are on the list on purpose. Finding a long word letter by letter is real spelling practice in disguise.
Questions
Are the dinosaur names too long for children?
Long names are the fun part, and the full list sits under the grid so nobody is stuck. The grid is nineteen squares across to fit them.
Are any of these from a film?
No. Every name on the list is a real genus or a real term from paleontology, nothing from any film or franchise.
Can I shorten it for a younger class?
Yes. Open it in the generator, trim the list, and switch to the easy setting, which hides words across and down only.