Thanksgiving Word Search Puzzles for Kids

All 6 Thanksgiving Word Search Puzzles for Kids, One by One

Here is a closer look at every page in this collection, with who it's best for and a coloring idea for each one.

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   1. Thanksgiving Harvest Word Search

   An easy Thanksgiving word search for first graders and strong kindergartners: ten harvest words (PUMPKIN, BASKET, CANDLE, FEATHER, SQUIRREL, CORN, OWL, APPLE, ROLL, SCARECROW) hidden only across and down in a 10 by 10 grid, and every word in the word bank has a colored picture. A step up from the 7-word picture word search. The answer key with every word marked is on page 2. First graders can do it on their own once they know the strategy at the top of the page.

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   2. Thanksgiving Family Word Search

   Fourteen words about the people and the fun of a family Thanksgiving: GRANDMA, GRANDPA, COUSINS, UNCLE, AUNT, BROTHER, SISTER, BABY, GUESTS, HUGS, STORIES, TABLE, GAMES and TOGETHER, hidden across, down and diagonally in a 13 by 13 grid. For second graders, or a quiet puzzle to share with a grandparent. Answer key on page 2. It fits second grade, around ages 7 to 8.

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3. 

   3. First Thanksgiving History Word Search

   A hard word search for 4th and 5th graders about the 1621 harvest celebration in Plymouth: MAYFLOWER, PLYMOUTH, PILGRIMS, WAMPANOAG, MASSASOIT, SQUANTO, VOYAGE, COLONY, SQUASH, BEANS, VENISON, CORNFIELD and more, 18 words hidden in all eight directions of a 15 by 15 grid. A good warm-up for a social studies lesson on the Wampanoag people and the Plymouth colonists. Every word is marked on page 2. Expect it to take fourth graders about 15 to 20 minutes with careful work.

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4. 

   4. Thanksgiving Picture Word Search

   Seven Thanksgiving words with a colored picture for each one: TURKEY, PIE, CORN, LEAF, APPLE, ACORN and HAT (a pilgrim hat), hidden only across and down in an 8 by 8 grid. Kindergartners say the picture name, look for its first letter and follow the word from there. Page 2 marks every word in color. Big pictures and only a few tasks per page make it a gentle start for kindergartners.

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5. 

   5. Gratitude Word Search for Kids

   Twelve words about being thankful hide across, down and diagonally in a 12 by 12 grid: THANKFUL, KIND, SHARE, FAMILY, FRIENDS, HELP, LOVE, HUG, SMILE, CARE, GIVE and TEACHER. A calm November puzzle that also starts a conversation: who helped you this week? The answer key is on page 2. First graders can do it on their own once they know the strategy at the top of the page.

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6. 

   6. Thanksgiving Dinner Table Word Search

   Sixteen things you find on (and under) a Thanksgiving dinner table, hidden in all eight directions of a 15 by 15 grid, backwards too: SWEET POTATO, GREEN BEANS, CENTERPIECE, GRAVY BOAT, WISHBONE, LEFTOVERS, PECAN PIE, APPLE CIDER and more. Two-word answers are hidden without the space. For third graders and up; every word is marked on page 2. Third graders can use it for practice, review or a quick check before a test.

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Tips for coloring Thanksgiving Word Search Puzzles for Kids

• Read every word in the list out loud before starting, so a child knows what they are looking for.
• Search for an unusual letter first: the Q in SQUASH or the Y in TURKEY stands out in the grid.
• Give each finder a different colored crayon when siblings share one puzzle; count the colors at the end.

Fun facts about Thanksgiving Word Search Puzzles for Kids

• One of the first word search puzzles was published in 1968 by Norman E. Gibat in a small Oklahoma newspaper.
• Edward Winslow wrote that the 1621 harvest feast at Plymouth lasted three days, and that about 90 Wampanoag men came with their leader Massasoit.
• Word searches train visual scanning, the same skill children use to find a word on a page when they read.

Fun ways to use your printables

• Pick three words from the puzzle and use all of them in one Thanksgiving sentence.
• After the dinner table word search, check which of the words are really on your table.
• Make your own Thanksgiving word search on graph paper and swap it with a cousin.

How to print

Click Download PDF on any page and print it at 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Use regular printer paper for crayons and pencils, or cardstock for markers and paint. Every page here is free for home, classroom and party use, so feel free to print as many copies as you need.