Halloween Word Search
word search · ages 5-8 · easy
Rapi Stack, Buenos Aires · Published July 25, 2026
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This Halloween word search hides nine words in an 11×11 letter grid: PUMPKIN, COSTUME, SPIDER, GHOST, WITCH, CANDY, BROOM, MOON and BAT. COSTUME, CANDY and MOON read across, BROOM and BAT read down, SPIDER and WITCH slant along the downward diagonal, and two are a little sneaky: PUMPKIN and GHOST run upward, so they read from the bottom letter to the top. The word list is printed under the grid, and page 2 of the PDF is the answer key.
Warm up with the short words — BAT and MOON — then hunt the long ones by their rarest letter: K and W each appear only three times in the whole grid, so they lead straight to PUMPKIN and WITCH faster than an O or an E would. When a word won't show up reading left to right or top to bottom, have your child try reading upward, starting from the word's first letter at the bottom.
The puzzle practices visual scanning and letter-by-letter matching, and the vocabulary is made of words children already say all October, so they can sound each one out as they circle it. Spelling COSTUME and BROOM correctly is a small win for early readers.
For a classroom party, print one per child and let the first to circle all nine read the list aloud. At home, ask your child to draw one of the found words — a ghost, a broom, a bat — in the margin when they finish.
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
Download & print — it's free
US Letter (8.5×11"). Print at home, no sign-up needed.
Tip: set your printer to “Fit to page” for best results.
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
My child found a word that isn't on the list. Is that okay?
That's a bonus find! Random letters sometimes form short words by chance. Circle it in a different color and celebrate the sharp eyes — the word list is the goal, but incidental words are extra reading practice.
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.
What age is the Halloween Word Search for?
It's aimed at kids ages 5–8 — enough detail to be interesting without being fiddly. Younger siblings can join in with help, and the range is a guide, not a gate: match the child, not the label.