Fall Word Search
word search · ages 5-8 · easy
Rapi Stack, Buenos Aires · Published July 12, 2026
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This fall word search hides nine autumn words in an 11×11 grid: ACORN, CRISP, CIDER, FALL, LEAF, PUMPKIN, SPICE, TURKEY and WOODS. ACORN and PUMPKIN read down; CRISP and FALL are written backwards; CIDER, LEAF, SPICE, TURKEY and WOODS — five of the nine — read from bottom to top. No word runs across or on a diagonal. The word list is printed under the grid, and page 2 of the PDF is the answer key.
Since most of the words read upward, the quickest way in is to find a word’s first letter and look straight up from it. ACORN is the easiest start: it begins in the top-right corner and runs down the right edge, while PUMPKIN runs down the left edge. WOODS is the only place where two O’s sit one on top of the other, and FALL is at the right end of the second-to-last row, read right to left.
Reading up and backwards is harder than reading across, so even an easy grid makes kids slow down and check letter by letter. The list is also a chance to talk about the season: what drops from an oak tree, what crisp air feels like, which spices go into a pumpkin pie.
Hand it out at a fall festival table or after an autumn read-aloud. When it is solved, ask your child to pick three of the words and draw a fall scene with them — or laminate the page so it can be solved again with a dry-erase marker.
Teacher notes
Skills practiced
- Letter recognition and visual scanning
- Spelling and sight-word practice
- Directional reading: across, down and diagonal
- Vocabulary: using each found word in a sentence
Suggested use in class
- Spelling-list review on the day before a quiz
- Pair work: one partner reads the word, the other hunts for it
Time estimate
10–15 minutes
Materials
- Printed page
- Pencil or highlighter
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US Letter (8.5×11"). Print at home, no sign-up needed.
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Includes answer key (page 2 of the PDF)
Print just page 1 for the puzzle, or both pages to keep the solution handy for checking.
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Frequently asked questions
Can we play it as a group activity?
Yes — print a copy per child and race, or share one page and take turns finding a word each. In a classroom it works well as an early-finisher task or a calm start-of-day settle-in activity.
Which directions can the hidden words go?
Words hide across, down and along the downward diagonal — and a few sneaky ones run backwards. That's the kid-solvable set: tricky enough to be fun, no upward diagonals to hunt. Have your child cross each word off the list as they circle it so they always know what's left.
Is this too babyish for my 8-year-old?
Try it before assuming — kids this age still love a good puzzle or coloring session, especially with "grown-up" tools like gel pens or fine-tip markers. Adding a self-set challenge (a timer, a color pattern, beating a sibling's time) refreshes any page.
Can I share this printable with other parents or teachers?
Please do — just share it as a link to this page rather than forwarding the PDF file. That way the person you share it with always gets the current version, and it helps other families find the collection.