Blog

Ideas for making spelling and vocabulary practice something your child looks forward to.

23 September 2026

Cambridge YLE Flyers Word Search: 15 Topic Puzzles for the Top Level

Fifteen ten-word Cambridge YLE Flyers word search sets by topic, with the grid settings and meaning clues that turn the puzzle into spelling recall.

23 September 2026

Cambridge YLE Movers Word Search: 15 Topic Puzzles From the Official List

Fifteen ten-word Cambridge YLE Movers word search sets by exam topic, with settings for 7–10-year-olds and a plan that moves from finding words to spelling.

23 September 2026

Christmas Word Search for Kids: Winter Vocabulary Sets and a Holiday Plan

Five Christmas and winter word lists for children aged 5 to 12, with the right grid for each age and a ten-minute-a-day plan for the school holidays.

23 September 2026

Learning English as an Additional Language? Why Listen-Mode Word Searches Help

For children learning English as an additional language, linking sound to spelling is the hard part. Word searches with spoken clues practise exactly that.

23 September 2026

Halloween Word Search for Kids: 5 Vocabulary Sets by Age

Five ten-word Halloween word lists for children aged 5 to 12, from bat and pumpkin to skeleton and silhouette, with the right grid and clues for each age.

23 September 2026

How Many Times Does a Child Need to See a Word Before They Know It?

There's no magic number: research points to several spaced encounters, some of them recall. What that means for spelling, and a weekly routine that uses it.

23 September 2026

Word Searches in the Classroom: How Teachers Stop Them Being Busywork

Word searches get called busywork because they're often used that way. Six classroom uses that make them real vocabulary practice, and how to differentiate.

23 September 2026

Year 1 and 2 Common Exception Words: A Word Search Plan for Home

The Year 1 and 2 common exception words split into ten-word word search sets, with small grids, forward-only words and a plan across the school year.

23 September 2026

Year 3 and 4 Statutory Spelling List as Word Searches: 10 Sets and a Two-Year Plan

The 100-word Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling list as ten word search sets, grouped by the spelling trap each word hides, with a two-year plan for home.

23 September 2026

Year 5 and 6 Statutory Spelling List as Word Searches: 10 Sets for Upper Primary

The 100-word Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling list as ten word search sets grouped by spelling trap, with meaning clues and a plan that builds to SATs.

14 September 2026

Cambridge YLE Starters Word Search: 15 Topic Puzzles From the Official List

Fifteen ten-word sets drawn from the Cambridge YLE Starters vocabulary list, grouped by topic exactly as the exam is, with the grid settings that suit 6–8-year-olds and a four-week plan for using them.

14 September 2026

My Child Hates Spelling Homework — 7 Games That Sneak the Practice In

Seven games that get a reluctant child looking at, saying and recalling spelling words without a worksheet: word search, spelling hopscotch, mystery word, letter shopping and more — with what each one actually practises.

14 September 2026

How to Make a Word Search From Your Child's Spelling List (In Under a Minute)

Three ways to turn this week's spelling list into a word search: by hand on squared paper, with a free online generator, or by photographing the list with an app. Step by step, with the settings that suit each age.

14 September 2026

Picture Word Search: Why Hiding the Word Makes Children Remember It

A word search with the spelling printed beside the grid is a copying task. Replace the word with a picture, a meaning or a spoken clue and it becomes retrieval practice — the single change that makes the puzzle teach spelling.

14 September 2026

Printable Word Search Puzzles for Kids: Free Sets by Age and Topic

Twelve ready-to-use word lists for children's word searches, sorted by age (5–12) and topic, with the right grid size and directions for each. Paste them into any generator or app and print.

14 September 2026

Sight Words Word Search for Kindergarten and P1: How to Use It Without Tears

Sight words are short, look alike and can't be sounded out — which makes a badly made word search miserable for a five-year-old. Here's how to set one up so it works: tiny grids, forward-only words, no decoys, and the Dolch sets to start with.

14 September 2026

Tap or Drag? Choosing a Word Game Your 5-Year-Old Can Actually Play

Most word game apps assume a child can drag a finger in a straight line across eight letters. Many five-year-olds can't, and get marked wrong for a motor slip, not a spelling mistake. What to look for, and why tap-to-select changes everything.

14 September 2026

Word Search Difficulty Guide: What Grid Size and Directions Suit Each Age

The four dials that set a word search's difficulty — grid size, word directions, filler letters and clue type — and the settings that suit children aged 5 to 12. Too hard and they guess; too easy and they learn nothing.

14 September 2026

Word Search for Kids: Why This Classic Puzzle Is Real Spelling Practice

A word search is not just a time-filler. Done with your child's own spelling list, it drives retrieval, letter-order attention and repetition — the three things spelling memory needs. Here's how.

14 September 2026

Word Search vs Crossword vs Hangman: Which Word Game Teaches Spelling Best?

The three classic word games practise different things: hangman trains letter-pattern guessing, crosswords train recall from meaning, word searches train letter-order attention. Here's what each does, who it suits, and how to combine them for a spelling list.