An animal word search for every age
This animal word list mixes big cats, sea and river animals, birds, reptiles and woodland favourites, from fox and owl up to crocodile and kangaroo. Short names make a gentle start for young readers; longer names are good spelling practice for older children.
- Preschool and kindergarten: 10×10, Easy, lowercase letters. Words only run across and down.
- Grades 2–5: 12×12 or 15×15 on Medium, so a few animals hide on the diagonal.
- Adults: 18×18 or 20×20 on Hard, with animals running backwards and upwards too.
Classroom ideas
- Ask students to sort the animals they find into mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
- Pick one animal from the word list and write three facts about it after the puzzle.
- Type your own unit words, such as farm animals or rainforest animals, with “Your own words”.
Words in the animals word list
Each puzzle picks words from these 44. Shorter grids use the words that fit.
- Alligator
- Badger
- Bear
- Beaver
- Camel
- Cheetah
- Crocodile
- Deer
- Dolphin
- Eagle
- Elephant
- Flamingo
- Fox
- Frog
- Giraffe
- Goat
- Gorilla
- Hedgehog
- Hippo
- Horse
- Kangaroo
- Koala
- Lemur
- Leopard
- Lion
- Lizard
- Llama
- Monkey
- Moose
- Otter
- Owl
- Panda
- Parrot
- Peacock
- Penguin
- Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Rhino
- Sloth
- Squirrel
- Tiger
- Turtle
- Wolf
- Zebra
Frequently asked questions
Is this animal word search free to print?
Yes. Print as many as you like for home or school. There is no sign-up and no watermark.
Which animals are in the puzzle?
Each puzzle picks a mix from the animal list shown on this page. A 15×15 grid holds 20 animals and a 10×10 grid holds 10. Press “New puzzle” for a different mix.
Can I make a farm animal or ocean animal word search?
Yes. Choose “Your own words” and type the animals you want, or use the ocean word search for sea creatures.
How do I print it with the answers?
Leave “Answer key on page 2” ticked and press Print / Save PDF. Page 1 is the puzzle, page 2 is the same grid with every word highlighted. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep a file.