Actual Word Search browser gameplay, before the checked example
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Word Search / ORIGINAL MANYPLAY GAME

Word Search for Kids

A small grid with 6 short words, across and down.

How to play ↗

Word search for young readers

Word Search for Kids is made for young readers. The grid is small, 7 × 9 letters, with big cells for small fingers, and the list holds just 6 short words of 3 to 6 letters. Words run only across and down, never diagonally or backwards, so a child reads each one the usual way. The words come from children’s themes such as Pets, Farm, Toys and Colors, and there is no bonus word to distract from the list. A child can draw a line across a word or simply tap its first and last letter, and the Hint button shows where a word starts as often as needed. It is free, with no registration, and every puzzle prints with an answer key for the classroom or a rainy afternoon.

How to play

Find every word of the list hidden in the grid. Draw a line with your finger or the mouse from the first letter of a word to its last, or tap the first letter and then the last; on a computer the arrow keys and Enter work too. A found word is circled in ink and struck off the list, and the puzzle is stamped Solved when the whole list is crossed out. Press Hint and a pencil marks the first letter of a word you have not found yet; hints are unlimited.

Questions about Word Search for Kids

Is this word search good for kids?

The kids grid is small, 7 × 9, with 6 short words from children's themes such as Pets, Farm and Toys, and the words run only across and down.

Can I print a kids word search for class?

Yes. Press Print and tick the answer key to add a second page with every word circled.

THE IDEA

What you do in Word Search

Word Search is the classic newspaper puzzle, laid out like a morning paper: a grid of letters and a list of words on one theme. Find every word hidden in the grid — across, down and diagonally, and in hard puzzles backwards too. Play free on phone or computer, with no download and no registration. A new puzzle comes out every day, you can make your own from your words, and any puzzle prints with an answer key.

A word search rewards a plan: start where the grid gives itself away, and on hard grids read every line both ways.

New to word search? The list on the page names every hidden word. Draw a line from the first letter of a word to its last, or tap both ends, and the word is circled in ink and struck off the list.

Before your next move

  • Reading only from left to right on a hard grid misses the words that run backwards or upwards.
  • A line one letter too long or too short does not count: start and end exactly on the word.

Browser edition

Play in your browser. No app download is needed.

Questions about Word Search

Can words cross in a word search?

Yes. Words may cross and share a letter, so one letter can belong to two words.

What is the bonus word?

One more word of the theme hides in the grid but not on the list. You do not need it to win; it is there for sharp eyes.

Does the game keep score?

No. The top bar shows your time, which starts with your first move, and how many words you have found. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Original ManyPlay game. Controls and examples were checked against the browser edition; cover illustrations are labelled separately from gameplay captures. Report a changed rule or control.