US Letter · 1 puzzle · 16 words
Easy Countries Word Search
Sixteen well-known countries, from the United States to Japan, in one puzzle – a good first word search.
Free teacher resource
Countries Word Search Puzzles
Seven themed countries word searches: an easy one with sixteen well-known countries, then the 15 largest countries, island countries, landlocked countries, the 27 countries of the European Union, Spanish-speaking countries and the countries on the Equator. For every country of a continent, see the geography word searches and crosswords.
Every sheet comes as an A4 and a US Letter PDF.Print it, then play it
Word searches
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Largest Countries Word Search
The 15 largest countries in the world by area, from Russia to Sudan.
US Letter · 3 puzzles · 47 words
Island Countries Word Search
Every island country, from Iceland to Fiji, spread over three puzzles.
US Letter · 3 puzzles · 46 words
Landlocked Countries Word Search
Every country with no coastline, spread over three puzzles.
US Letter · 2 puzzles · 27 words
European Union Countries Word Search
The 27 member countries of the European Union in two puzzles.
US Letter · 2 puzzles · 20 words
Spanish-Speaking Countries Word Search
The 20 countries where Spanish is an official language, in two puzzles.
US Letter · 2 puzzles · 13 words
Countries on the Equator Word Search
The 13 countries that the Equator passes through, in two puzzles.
For teachers
How these worksheets work
Every word runs across, down or diagonally, always forwards, and appears exactly once; country names are hidden without spaces, so United States is UNITEDSTATES. Start with the easy puzzle, and pair the themed ones with a map: students can find each country on a world map once they have found it in the grid.
Every puzzle is plain black type on white, so it prints and photocopies cleanly. Each PDF holds two or more different puzzles, one per page, so a class can share one file.
How to use these countries word searches
Start with the easy puzzle of sixteen well-known countries, then choose a theme: the largest countries, island countries, landlocked countries, the European Union, Spanish-speaking countries or the countries on the Equator. Pair each puzzle with a world map so students find each country on the map once they have found it in the grid. For every country of a continent, see the geography word searches and crosswords page.
Which grades are they for?
The easy puzzle suits grades 1 to 3. The largest countries and Equator puzzles fit grades 3 to 5, and the longer island, landlocked, EU and Spanish-speaking puzzles suit grades 4 to 7.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are there in the world?
There are about 195: the 193 members of the United Nations plus the Vatican City and Palestine.
Which continent has the most countries?
Africa, with 54 countries.
Is there an easy countries word search for kids?
Yes – the easy countries word search hides sixteen well-known countries in one puzzle, a good first word search for young children.
Are words hidden backwards?
No. Every word runs across, down or diagonally, always forwards, and appears exactly once.
How are names with spaces hidden?
Without the spaces, so United States is hidden as UNITEDSTATES.
What is a landlocked country?
A country with no coast on a sea or an ocean, such as Switzerland or Bolivia. There are 45 of them, all in the landlocked countries word search.
Print it, then play it
