20 words are hidden in the letters, or ten short ones for a first try. Tap the first letter of a word, then its last letter.
The 20 words
school backpack pencil crayons lunchbox bus desk friends books reading math binder paper glue ruler eraser folder recess markers scissors
The things of a first week back, such as a backpack, pencil, crayons, lunchbox, the bus, a desk and new friends. There are 20 words and 118 letters to find. The longest words are "backpack", "lunchbox" and "scissors", at 8 letters. No word on the list uses J, Q, V, W and Z.
The words by length
| Length | How many | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | 1 | bus |
| 4 letters | 3 | desk math glue |
| 5 letters | 3 | books paper ruler |
| 6 letters | 6 | school pencil binder eraser folder recess |
| 7 letters | 4 | crayons friends reading markers |
| 8 letters | 3 | backpack lunchbox scissors |
A shorter puzzle of ten
Choose "10 short words" beside the heading for a smaller grid with these ten: school, pencil, bus, desk, books, math, binder, paper, glue and ruler. None has more than 6 letters. On a phone the full puzzle takes twelve of the 20, so the letters stay big enough to tap.
Hints for this puzzle
- Start with the longest words. Backpack, lunchbox and scissors take up the most room, so they are the easiest to spot.
- 4 words start with B. When you find a B, check it for backpack, bus, books and binder.
- 3 words start with R. When you find an R, check it for reading, ruler and recess.
- Look for doubled letters. Two of the same letter side by side stand out in a grid: school, books, recess and scissors.
Play it or print it
On the screen, tap the first letter of a word and then its last letter, and the word is crossed off the list. Easy hides words across and down, Medium adds corner to corner, and Hard adds backwards. Press Print for two pages, the puzzle and its answer key, and "New puzzle" for the same words in new places. The word search maker page explains how each grid is made and kept clean.
Leave it on each desk for the first morning, or print it the night before while the backpack gets packed. Put a check mark beside each word you can find in your own backpack, then draw the one thing still missing.
The same words on bingo cards and flash cards
The bingo card generator deals these words onto cards, each one a different mix, and the flash cards page prints them eight to a sheet.
More word searches
New Year · Easter · Earth Day · Mother's Day · Father's Day · Fourth of July · Groundhog Day · 100th day of school · Birthday · Snow day · Rainy day · All word searches · Word search maker
Questions
What words are in the back to school word search?
School, backpack, pencil, crayons, lunchbox, bus, desk, friends, books, reading, math, binder, paper, glue, ruler, eraser, folder, recess, markers and scissors.
Is there an easier back to school word search?
Yes. Choose "10 short words" for a smaller puzzle with school, pencil, bus, desk, books, math, binder, paper, glue and ruler. On Easy, words only run across and down.
Can I print it with an answer key?
Yes. Press Print for two pages: the puzzle and its answer key. Each press of "New puzzle" makes a different sheet.
Is the back to school word search free?
Yes. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for.