Last Updated on July 1, 2025
A printable summer crossword puzzle for kids is a great solution when you can’t go outside and play.
It’s also a good idea to bring along printable activities for kids when you’re on the road in the summertime. They’re easy to pack, require no prep, and can help kids stay entertained without screens-whether you’re traveling or stuck inside on a hot day.
This summer-themed crossword puzzle is a fun way for kids to keep their minds active-all while thinking about their favorite parts of summer. From beach days to popsicles, each clue is a lighthearted reminder of what makes the season so special.
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Crossword Puzzles Keep the Mind Active
As much as I try to keep some structured educational time going consistently in the summer, it doesn’t always happen. Even kids need a break!
Luckily when I hand my kids a crossword puzzle to complete they don’t see it as “school work” and instead see it as a fun game. I know that my kids are actually using their minds to complete the crossword puzzles but all they care about is that the puzzles are fun to finish.
Here are just a few of the educational benefits of these puzzles:
- Persistence and perseverance: Solving puzzles requires patience and the ability to concentrate, which are valuable life skills. Maybe the first word that comes to mind when they see the image isn’t what fits in the puzzle-so they’ll need to stay patient and try to see what other word might fit.
- Attention to Detail: When the kids realize the words they chose aren’t working in the puzzle, they need to pay close attention to how the words are spelled and fit together.
- Cognitive skills: As the kids try to think of what other word might fit, they’re having to use critical thinking. They have to look at the context by looking at the other images and words to see if they give any clue as to what the answer is.
- Memory Recall: Solving puzzles requires kids to draw on what they already know/learned, helping to strengthen memory connections.
Teaching Kids About Summer
Summer is a wonderful time of year full of vacations, picnics, beach trips and enjoying the warm weather. Talking to kids about the different seasons is a perfect learning opportunity.
While the kids are working on their summer crossword puzzle here is some great information to share:
- The Summer Solstice is the day with the most daylight and it marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere (either on June 21 or June 22). In the Southern Hemisphere, their summer starts on either December 22 or December 23.
- The phrase, “Dog Days of Summer” refers to the hottest part of summer, and it’s not about dogs at all. It’s actually related to the Dog Star, Sirius, which is visible during that time, usually in July.
- The first modern summer Olympics took place in 1896 in Greece in the city of Athens. An American named James Connolly won the triple jump and became the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years.
- Summer is know for being the season with the most number of thunderstorms during the year. That’s because of the combination of summer showers and moisture along with rapidly rising air.
- Frisbee is a sport often played during the summer. It began with the tradition of throwing pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company and later became a plastic flying disc made by Wham-O on January 23, 1957.
- An 11-year-old boy, named Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle in 1905-he accidentally left a mixture of soda powder and water with a stirring stick in it on his porch overnight, and it froze into what he later called an “Epsicle”. He then started selling his frozen treat, which eventually became known as the Popsicle.
- On hot summer days, the iron of the Eiffel Tower actually expands due to the heat, making it a 6 inches taller.
- July is celebrated as ice cream month because it’s a delicious treat to cool down during the warm season.
Creative Ways to Use This Printable
There are many ways to get creative with the crossword puzzle for your class or at home. Here are some ideas that can be done either while they’re completing the puzzle or after they’re done:
Make it a Contest
My kids love a little (or a lot, lol) friendly competition. Anytime I turn any activity into a competition I have excited children.
Even something as simple as working a crossword puzzle can be turned into a contest. By the way, this will work for almost anything-even chores!
- Make it a race and see who can get done first with all the correct answers.
- Put kids into teams and have them compete against each other. This works well if you have 4 or more kids working on the crossword at the same time.
- After each word is figured out, have the kids run a lap around the house and figure out another word.
- Give each child the same amount of time (5 or 10 minutes) to complete as many words as they can. When the timer goes off, check to see who has the most correct answers.
- Cut out the clues and set up the puzzle on one side of the room and the clues on the other. Kids have to run to read a clue, memorize it, run back, and try to fill in the answer-this adds both movement and memory skills into the game.
- Have just one puzzle for everyone to work on together. Play music and pass around an object (like a beach ball)-when the music stops, the person holding the object has to solve a clue.
Once the Puzzle is Completed
Once your kids finish the crossword, here are some more fun educational activities you can have them do with the words they have found:
- Have the child look up each word they found in the crossword puzzle in the dictionary and write out the definition.
- Write each word from the puzzle in a sentence that they come up with themselves.
- See how many words they can think of that rhyme with the words from the puzzle.
- Write a short story using all the words from the summer crossword puzzle. This will probably be hilarious to read!
- Have a spelling test using the words from the puzzle.
- Draw a picture of each word used in the puzzle.
- See how many other words the kids can write using the letters in the words from the puzzle.
- Look up synonyms for each word in the puzzle.
- Try to make a crossword puzzle from scratch using new words about summer.
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Download the Printable Summer Crossword Puzzle for Kids
You can download and print off this fun printable summer crossword puzzle for kids for your own personal use at home.
Just fill in the form below to download it.
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Additional Summer Fun Ideas
Keep the summer fun going strong for you and your family with these other free ideas, recipes and printables.
- Summer Word Search for Kids: Keep kids entertained this summer with a fun and engaging Summer Word Search for Kids! This free printable is perfect for boosting vocabulary and spelling skills while having fun.
- 100 Things to Do This Summer: Beat boredom this summer with our ultimate 100 Things To Do This Summer printable! From fun family adventures to creative ideas, this list will keep everyone entertained.
- Ocean Bingo: Make a splash with this fun Ocean Bingo game! Perfect for classroom activities, homeschool, or ocean-themed parties. Easy to print & play!
- An Instagrammable Mermaid Frappuccino: Add this mermaid frappuccino to your collection of mythical drink recipes! Super cute drink idea for birthday parties or weekend fun!
- Best Peppermint Ice Cream: This is the best peppermint ice cream you will ever make. It is an easy homemade no churn ice cream recipe that is overflowing with peppermint flavor.
- Amish Baked Oatmeal Topped with Strawberries: Start your morning with this hearty Amish baked oatmeal topped with fresh strawberries. This easy breakfast recipe transforms simple oats into a deliciously satisfying dish that’s perfect for busy mornings or weekend brunches.
