This is a first word search: sixteen short, familiar words (cat, dog, sun, hat, ball, fish, bird, cake, duck, tree, star, moon, bus, pig, cow and bee) in a 10 × 10 grid. Every word runs left to right or top to bottom, so a child only has to look in the two directions they already read in. The School print font draws letters the way children learn to write them, and the small grid makes each letter large on the page.
How to help a young solver
Start with the first word in the list and say it out loud. Ask your child for its first letter, then find that letter together in the grid and look right or down for the next one. After two or three words most children get the idea and want to work alone. A highlighter or crayon is easier for small hands than circling with a pencil.
Grow it with them
When this puzzle is easy, make the next one a little bigger: choose a 12 × 12 grid, or tick Diagonal. Children who read lowercase better than capitals can switch Letters to lowercase; the words in the list change with it, so the puzzle still matches. Replace the words with the names of family members or pets for a puzzle that’s all about them.
For teachers
Print a class set with Different versions under Printing, so neighbors have different grids. The name and date line is off on this page to keep the sheet uncluttered; tick it under Printing if you collect the sheets.
The 16 words in this puzzle
Cat · Dog · Sun · Hat · Ball · Fish · Bird · Cake · Duck · Tree · Star · Moon · Bus · Pig · Cow · Bee