Last Updated on June 24, 2025
A summer word search for kids is a simple activity to keep kids busy and their brains active while they are on a break from school.
Whether you’re looking for a boredom buster or something educational to add to your summer routine, this printable makes it simple to sneak in a bit of learning without it feeling like homework.
Word searches are an easy screen-free option that kids can do independently at home, on road trips, or during quiet time. They help build vocabulary, reinforce spelling, and give kids a chance to practice focus and patience-all while having fun.
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Are Word Searches Really Educational?
There is more to a word search than meets the eye. It is not just an activity to keep children occupied.
Here are just a few of the educational benefits of these searches:
- Spelling: Since kids have to make sure the word they found matches all of the letters in the word they’re searching for, this helps them improve their spelling. This is especially important in today’s technology world because kids might rely on autocorrect instead of learning how to spell the word correctly themselves.
- Problem solving skills: Kids have to decide how they’re going to complete the word search (see some examples below) and be able to try different methods if the one they choose isn’t working. If they’re able to stick with it and learn how to solve it without becoming frustrated, their success will help them realize they can solve other problems they run into.
- Fine motor skills: As the kids carefully make sure they are only circling the correct letters in the puzzle, they are developing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Concentration and attention to detail: While searching the grid for the letters they’re looking for, children are concentrating hard, because if they look away, they might miss the word and have to look through the grid again. Attention to detail is important because sometimes the combination of letters look like it spells the word, but if they look closer, it really doesn’t-maybe one letter is off.
How to do a Word Search
Children may not know the best methods for locating the words they are looking for and can become very frustrated. There are actually some basic tips and steps that make finding the words in a word search easier.
Share these easy tips with your child and they will see a lot more success when they are working on these activity sheets.
- Look for double letters first. Those will typically pop off the page. So on this summer word search for kids printable you might want to start with the word, pool. Look for the double o’s.
- Read each line of the word search box and see if any words are there. Sometimes they’re obvious and easy to find, like “play” in the first line of this puzzle.
- Look at the surrounding letters. So first identify the first letter of the word you are searching for. Then look at each letter around that first letter and see if any of those are the second letter you need. If not, move on to the next first letter you come to and repeat.
- Use your finger as you scan each line. This helps you keep your place and you are less likely to miss a word.
Creative Ways to Use This Printable
There are many ways to get creative with the word search for your class or at home. Here are some ideas:
- Have kids use different colored pencils or markers to circle words by category (e.g., nouns in red, verbs in blue, or summer foods in yellow). This adds a layer of learning and makes the activity different than just a regular word search.
- Challenge kids to use 5-10 words from the word search to write a short summer-themed story. It encourages creativity and builds writing skills while reinforcing the vocabulary they just reviewed.
- Turn it into a race. See how many words kids can find in a set amount of time (like 3 or 5 minutes)-this makes the word search more exciting for groups or siblings.
- After finding the words, have kids look for real-life versions of them around the house or outside. This is a fun, active way to connect the activity with their surroundings and since “popsicle” is one of the words it’s a great way to get a treat.
More Ways to Have Fun With Word Searches
If your child really enjoys doing word searches there are lots of different ways to play.
- Kids can actually make their own word searches with different online programs-they can pick which words to find and can make any theme they prefer. One great program to use is on Discovery Education.
- You can purchase word find books. These are perfect for family travel and I love the ones at Dollar Tree.
- There are online games and apps that have word searches for every idea and theme you can imagine. I like The Word Search because it is free and you can also print their puzzles off if you prefer to not play online.
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Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools for Printables
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Printer paper or cardstock: If you're printing for one-time, quick use, print on regular printer paper. If you need the printout to hold up to being handled often or if you plan to laminate it to use it multiple times, choose cardstock.
Laminator: Laminating your printable is an inexpensive way to use it multiple times. Just use dry erase markers and wipe off when you're done so you can use it again! Alternately, you can cover the printable with clear contact paper to achieve the same thing or place the printable in clear page protectors.
Binder or Folder: If you’re using page protectors for your printables, binders are such an easy way to keep them together and organized. I love this colorful set. If you prefer to stick with standard white though, this set is highly rated and very affordable. And if you need larger binders, this set is terrific. If you go with folders, I like these.
Storage boxes: I like to keep a collection of coloring pages and activity sheets for kids in these plastic storage boxes that I pull out whenever I need to keep kids occupied.
Hole punch: If you don’t use page protectors but want to use binders to organize your printables, a hole puncher will be your best friend. This is the one you want if you’ll be punching holes in several pages at a time and want to do so easily. And this bargain option is ideal if you don’t mind limiting your hole punching to 2-3 pages at a time.
Clipboard: I love this clipboard for on-the-go with the kids. It has built in storage for both printables and markers or pencils.
Download the Printable Summer Word Search for Kids
You can download and print off this easy summer word search for kids for your own personal use.
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.
- Printable 4th of July Word Search for Kids: This free printable 4th of July word search for kids is a wonderful patriotic activity to help kids learn vocabulary words associated with Independence Day.
- 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.
- Printable Summer Scavenger Hunt: Keep kids busy and having fun with this free printable summer scavenger hunt! It’s perfect for a walk around the neighborhood-encouraging curiosity and screen-free play.
- Starbucks Dragonfruit Refresher: Recreate the famous Starbucks Dragonfruit Refresher at home using only five ingredients! Make it at home for just a fraction of the price.
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies With Frosting: These Lemon Cake Mix Cookies are bursting with lemon flavor and are so easy to make! They’re perfect for a summer dessert or snack.
- Broccoli Bacon and Cheese Salad: This Broccoli Bacon and Cheese Salad is anything but routine. With savory bacon and a tangy dressing, it's perfect for any picnic or potluck.
