18 puzzles · all free to play and print
Mini Word Search
Free Mini word search puzzles to print or play online.
Play online or print
Pet Friends
5 words to find
- DOG
- CAT
- FISH
- BIRD
- MOUSE
Drag from the first to the last letter of a word, or tap the first letter and then the last. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
All 18 Mini puzzles stay free here. Want them as one printable booklet?
All 18 Mini word search puzzles
18 quick puzzles on 7 by 7 grids, each with just five short words hidden across and down. A puzzle takes a few minutes, so they suit young kids, class warm-ups, waiting rooms and short breaks. Themes include pets, fruit, the playground, weather and outer space. The words are very common, three to six letters long, with no diagonals and nothing backwards. Every puzzle has an answer key and prints on US Letter or A4. Every one of these 18 puzzles is free: play it online above or print its PDF, with the answer key on page 2. No account, no email.
Mini: across and down 18 puzzles
Optional · all in one file
Want all 18 in one booklet?
You do not need it: every Mini puzzle above is free to play and to download one by one. The booklet is only for printing them all at once, a 38-page PDF with a cover, a contents page and the answer keys at the back. Buying it also keeps this site free for everyone.
One-time payment, secure checkout with Stripe. US Letter and A4 PDFs, the download link arrives by email.
How to use these Mini word searches
Hand one out as a morning warm-up while students settle in, tuck a page into a bag for the car, or keep a stack by the front desk for anyone who has to wait. Parents can read the list aloud for a child who is still learning to spell. Each PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Make your own Mini word search
Add your own words, a name or a class list to these mini words and pick a level. The preview is free; the printable PDF with its answer key is $1.99.
Good to know about Mini word search
Every Mini puzzle on this page is free to play online and free to print as a PDF with its answer key, one by one. Only the optional booklet, all 18 puzzles bundled into one print-ready file, costs money.
Most people finish a mini puzzle in two to five minutes. The grid is 7 by 7 and hides only five words, so it fits into a short break, a waiting room or the minutes before class starts.
Children who read simple words, around age 6 and up, can do them alone. Younger kids can search with a parent. Adults like them as a quick brain warm-up because they are short and need no setup.
In these puzzles all five words run left to right or top to bottom, which keeps them gentle for beginners. If you want diagonals and backwards words, try the medium or hard puzzles on the site.
Easy puzzles (10 by 10, words across and down) work from about age 6. Medium puzzles (13 by 13, diagonals added) suit ages 8 to 11. Hard puzzles (16 by 16, every direction, backwards too) are for older kids and adults.
Page 2 of every PDF is the answer key, with each word marked where it hides. When you play online, the Show answers button marks them on the grid.
Every puzzle comes as a US Letter PDF (8.5 by 11 inches) and an A4 PDF (210 by 297 mm). Print at 100% or Actual size.
Every puzzle on this page plays in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer: drag or tap from the first to the last letter of a word. Nothing to install and no account.
Print as many copies as you need for your home, classroom, church group or care home. Please link to this page instead of uploading the files elsewhere.