Spanish Word Search Puzzles for Kids (Free Printable PDF)
Here are six free Spanish word searches, one for each Spanish Basics unit: los colores, los números, los días, los meses, los saludos and la familia, with answer keys. Do them after your child has heard the words out loud. A word search is review, not a first lesson.
Below you’ll find every word in every puzzle, how to use them without turning Spanish into homework, and how to make the grids easier or harder for your child.
Free Spanish word search printable (PDF): what’s inside
Eight US Letter pages. Pages 1 to 6 hold one puzzle each: a title in Spanish and English, the letter grid, a word bank with the accents and the English meaning, and a “say it out loud” line. Pages 7 and 8 are the answer keys, three puzzles per page.
Page 1
Los colores (Colors)
11 words · 10×10, across and down · ages 5–7
Page 2
Los números (Numbers 1–10)
10 words · 10×10, across and down · ages 5–7
Page 3
Los días de la semana (Days of the week)
8 words · 10×10, across and down · ages 5–7
Page 4
Los meses (Months)
12 words · 12×12, with diagonals · ages 7–10
Page 5
Los saludos (Greetings)
8 words · 12×12, with diagonals · ages 7–10
Page 6
La familia (Family)
12 words · 10×10, across and down · ages 5–7
Pages 7–8
Answer keys
Smaller copies of all six grids with every word circled.
Spanish word search book: all 6 puzzles and their words
Every word in the set, so you can say them with your child before the pencil comes out. Each list links to the page that teaches those words, with pronunciation and a small game.
Los colores (Colors)
- rojo red
- azul blue
- amarillo yellow
- verde green
- naranja orange
- violeta purple
- rosa pink
- marrón brown
- blanco white
- gris gray
- celeste sky blue
Spanish number word search: uno to diez
- uno one
- dos two
- tres three
- cuatro four
- cinco five
- seis six
- siete seven
- ocho eight
- nueve nine
- diez ten
Los días de la semana (Days of the week)
- lunes Monday
- martes Tuesday
- miércoles Wednesday
- jueves Thursday
- viernes Friday
- sábado Saturday
- domingo Sunday
- semana week
Los meses (Months)
- enero January
- febrero February
- marzo March
- abril April
- mayo May
- junio June
- julio July
- agosto August
- septiembre September
- octubre October
- noviembre November
- diciembre December
Los saludos (Greetings)
- hola hi
- chau bye
- buen día good morning
- buenas noches good night
- gracias thank you
- por favor please
- de nada you're welcome
- hasta luego see you later
La familia (Family)
- mamá mom
- papá dad
- hermano brother
- hermana sister
- abuelo grandpa
- abuela grandma
- tío uncle
- tía aunt
- primo cousin (boy)
- prima cousin (girl)
- bebé baby
- familia family
A few words to notice: buen día for good morning, chau for bye, marrón for brown, and celeste for sky blue, its own everyday color word. Multi-word greetings are joined in the grid, so buen día hides as BUENDIA.
How to use a word search without turning it into homework
You don’t need to speak Spanish to run this. The English is on every page, and the answer key is there for you, not as a test. Think of it the way Manuel and Lola would: a treasure hunt for words you already know, done at the kitchen table.
- 1
Hear the words first. Read the matching chart together a few days before, or play the game on its unit page.
- 2
Say each word out loud when it’s found. The puzzle says Busca las palabras (find the words). Make it a race to say each one, not only to circle it.
- 3
Point to the chart or the real thing. Found rojo? Point at something red. Found abuela? Point at her photo.
- 4
Five to ten minutes, then stop.Stop while it’s still fun, even with words left. The puzzle will be there tomorrow.
Why the order matters: Stephen Krashen’s input hypothesis, an influential idea in language teaching, holds that children pick up a language by understanding it, which is why we put hearing before spelling. And ACTFL’s research brief on early language learning points to steady exposure over time, so a short puzzle that brings back last week’s words earns its place.
Why the grid has no accents
Grids are all capitals with no accent marks, so miércoles hides as MIERCOLES and mamá as MAMA. The word bank keeps every accent, so your child still sees the right spelling. One exception: ñ always stays, because in Spanish it is its own letter. None of these six puzzles happens to need it, but future ones (like a word search with año) will keep it.
Easier and harder
The 10×10 puzzles run words only across and down, a good fit for ages 5 to 7. Months and greetings use 12×12 grids with diagonals for ages 7 to 10. To make any puzzle easier, highlight the first letter of each word in the grid before your child starts, or search for one word together. To make it harder, cover the English in the word bank.
Get the free word search PDF
Eight pages: six puzzles (colors, numbers, days, months, greetings, family) and two pages of answer keys. Free for your family and classroom, no email needed. The set is a small sample of the kind of practice in our Foundations Pack, which isn’t for sale yet.
Download the Word Searches (Free PDF)Questions parents ask
Where can I find free printable word searches in Spanish?
Right here: one free PDF with six Spanish word searches (colors, numbers, days of the week, months, greetings and family) plus answer keys. No email needed. Each puzzle matches one of our free Spanish Basics pages, so your child can hear and say the words before hunting for them.
Is there a Spanish word search book?
We don't make a printed book. The free PDF works like a small one: six puzzles and two answer-key pages, eight pages in all. Print it double-sided, staple the corner, and you have a booklet your child can work through one puzzle a week.
Are word searches good for learning Spanish?
They are good for review, not for first learning. A word search asks your child to recognize the spelling of a word they already know by sound. Hear the words first (read the chart, play the game on the unit page), then use the puzzle a few days later as a quiet, fun check.
Do the word searches include accents?
The grids are all capital letters without accent marks, the way most word search puzzles print them: miércoles appears as MIERCOLES. The word bank beside the grid keeps every accent, so your child still sees the correct spelling. The letter ñ always stays, because in Spanish it is its own letter, not an n with a mark.
What age are these Spanish word searches for?
Colors, numbers, days and family use a 10×10 grid with words running only across and down, which suits most children around 5 to 7. Months and greetings use a 12×12 grid with diagonals for ages 7 to 10. Younger children can do the bigger puzzles with a parent as a team.
More free printables to pair with the puzzles
A puzzle checks what your child knows; a story is where the words come alive. Our free Manuel y Lola starter story, Manuel tiene un perro, prints in minutes with a parent guide in English.
Spanish Bingo: Numbers and Colors
Eight boards and call cards for a game the whole family can play.
Kindergarten Spanish Worksheets
Six one-page trace-and-match sheets for the same six units.
Printable Spanish Flashcards
24 draw-it-yourself cards for colors, numbers and family.
Get the Free Starter Story Pack
A short printable Manuel y Lola story with a parent guide in English.
The Spanish Basics units behind the puzzles, and the ones coming next: Days of the week · Colors · Numbers · Months and seasons · Greetings · Family · Animals · Body parts · The alphabet · Emotions. Or browse all free Spanish printables, including the sight word cards.
Sources
- Stephen D. Krashen: Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (1982)
- ACTFL: The Impact of Early Language Learning (research brief)