A Halloween word search for every grade
Wormly’s spooky word search hides Halloween words in a grid of letters, and children drag across the letters to find them. There are four levels, from Beginner to grade 5, and each level has its own list of 30 words. The words are the same ones in Wormly’s Halloween spelling and sentence games, so children keep meeting them in new ways.
How this Halloween word search works
Pick a level and a fresh puzzle appears. Children read the word list, spot a word in the grid, and drag across its letters with a mouse or a finger. Found words glow in the grid and get crossed off the list. At the lower levels words run across and down, and at grades 4-5 they also run diagonally and backwards for an extra challenge. Every new puzzle mixes the words and the grid, so replays feel different.
Top 30 spooky words for every grade
Each puzzle picks a few words from that level’s list of 30:
- Beginner: 6 short words in an 8 by 8 grid, such as bat, web and hex.
- Grades K-1: 6 words in an 8 by 8 grid, such as witch, ghost and broom.
- Grades 2-3: 8 words in a 12 by 12 grid, such as cobweb, pumpkin and haunted.
- Grades 4-5: 10 words in a 15 by 15 grid, such as skeleton, phantom and nocturnal.
Tap a word to learn what it means
Every word in the list has a short meaning. Hover over a word or tap it to see the meaning, and at Beginner and K-1 a speaker button reads it aloud, so early readers can play without an adult. At grades 2-3 and 4-5 the tip also shows how the word is built, such as the two parts of a compound word, a prefix or suffix, or the Greek or Latin root it comes from. Talking about what a word means is where the vocabulary learning happens.
Hints and a timer
Each puzzle comes with 3 hints, which point to a word that is still hiding. A timer and a found counter show progress, so children can try to beat their own time. Hints are friendly, and the receipt simply notes which words were found without one.
Standards and learning goals
Teachers can match this Halloween word search to their standards for Georgia, Common Core, New Jersey, North Carolina, Michigan and New York. The full alignment is on the standards page, linked above the game. The game is built for vocabulary recognition: children find words they are learning in Wormly’s spelling game, check each one against its spelling pattern, and talk about what it means and, at grades 2-5, how it is built. It is practice with familiar words, not decoding instruction. You can read more in the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
A printable receipt for families and teachers
When every word is found, children can type a first name, or skip that step, and print a two-part receipt. The top strip is for the child, with a cheer and the words they found. The bottom strip is for the teacher, with words found without a hint, average time, a space for notes and a QR code that opens a summary page.
Tips for playing at home or in class
Read the word list aloud together before starting the Halloween word search. Ask the child to say a sentence with each word once it is found. Playing Wormly’s spelling game first gives children a head start, because the same words appear in every game. Partners can take turns finding words and checking each other’s work.
How to play
The game is right here on the page, so children can start straight away. For a bigger board, choose Open in new tab. It works on Chromebooks, tablets and computers, and there is nothing to install. The sound button turns the sounds off, and the puzzle works with no sound at all.
More Wormly games to try
Want more word play? Try Wormly’s first Halloween spelling edition or Wormly’s WordFit sentence game. After this Halloween word search, families can keep hunting for spooky words at home.
