Word Search for Kids

Word search puzzles are a fun activity that kids will enjoy doing. However, while they are an enjoyable way to pass the time, especially when the kids get bored - for example, on long plane or train journeys, they can also have educational benefits. One of the things about word search puzzles is that in order to solve them, you must not only focus your attention, but you also must pay close attention to the exact spelling of words.

Most people know how these puzzles are played, but in case you're not familiar with them, I'll give you a brief overview. Basically an array of letters, usually arranged in a grid is printed on a piece of paper. Hidden with the array of letters are words, and the player's objective is to find and circle each of those words. The challenge comes from the fact, that the words can be placed in any direction at all, including horizontal (both left to right, and right to left), vertically (both downwards and upwards), and even in any of the four diagonal directions. Furthermore, the words can overlap, and some letters in the grid may not actually form part of any word - they are just there to distract you.

One of the nice things about modern technology is that with the help of your computer and appropriate software, you can easily create word search puzzles yourself. Simple enter a list of words into the software, and a puzzle is generated for you. You can even tailor the difficulty of your puzzles depending on the age of your kids - for example, by using longer or shorter words as appropriate, or avoiding those difficult diagonal directions for younger kids.