Made for little hands
By February, many kindergarteners can sound out short words and are proud of it. This puzzle gives them the chance to show that off. Eight words such as love, red, hug and card sit on a 10 × 10 grid, and they only run across or down.
A letter-hunting routine
Teach one simple routine, and most children will soon be working on their own:
- Point to a word on the list and read it together.
- Find its first letter somewhere in the grid.
- Look at the letter next to it, to the right or below.
- When the word is complete, colour it in and tick it off.
Heart-themed extras
Cut out the finished puzzle and glue it to a big paper heart to take home as a gift. Children can also write the words from the list on small paper hearts for extra handwriting practice. If you are short on time, use a heart stamp to mark each word they find.
Adjust the words
Swap in the names of family members or friends. Short names work best in the grid, and children are delighted to find someone they love hiding in the puzzle.