US Letter · 1 puzzle · 16 words
Geography Words Word Search
Sixteen everyday geography words, from map and globe to equator and climate.
Free teacher resource
Geography Word Search Puzzles
Eight themed geography word searches for building vocabulary: everyday geography words, map skills, bodies of water, famous rivers of the world, famous mountains and mountain ranges, the great deserts, famous landmarks, and weather and climate. Each puzzle hides 15 or 16 words.
Every sheet comes as an A4 and a US Letter PDF.Print it, then play it
Word searches
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Map Skills Word Search
Fifteen map words: compass rose, legend, scale, grid, the four directions, latitude, longitude and more.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Bodies of Water Word Search
Fifteen kinds of water, from ocean, sea and lake to strait, lagoon and glacier.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Rivers of the World Word Search
Fifteen famous rivers, from the Nile and the Amazon to the Mississippi and the Thames.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Mountains of the World Word Search
Famous peaks such as Everest, Kilimanjaro and Fuji, and ranges such as the Alps, the Andes and the Rockies.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Weather and Climate Word Search
Fifteen weather words, from rain and snow to tornado, hurricane and temperature.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Deserts of the World Word Search
Fifteen great deserts, from the Sahara and the Gobi to the Atacama, the Mojave and Antarctica.
US Letter · 1 puzzle · 15 words
Famous Landmarks Word Search
Fifteen world landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall to Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal.
For teachers
How these worksheets work
Every word runs across, down or diagonally, always forwards, and appears exactly once; names with spaces, such as Compass Rose or Mont Blanc, are hidden without them. The geography words and map skills puzzles pair well with the latitude and longitude and continents worksheets; the rivers and mountains puzzles make a good start to a lesson with a world map.
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 geography word searches
Each word search hides 15 or 16 words on one theme. Use the geography words and map skills puzzles to introduce vocabulary before a map lesson, the bodies of water and weather puzzles alongside a science unit, and the rivers and mountains puzzles with a world map: once students find a name in the grid, they can find the place on the map.
How the puzzles work
Words run across, down and diagonally, always forwards, and each word appears exactly once. Names with spaces, such as Mont Blanc or Compass Rose, are hidden without them.
Which grades are they for?
The geography words and weather puzzles suit grades 2 to 4. Map skills and bodies of water fit grades 3 to 5, and the rivers and mountains of the world puzzles suit grades 4 to 7.
Frequently asked questions
What age are these geography word searches for?
They suit children from about 7 to 12, roughly grades 2 to 7. The rivers and mountains puzzles have longer names and suit older students.
Are words hidden backwards?
No. Words go across, down and diagonally, always reading forwards, which keeps the puzzles fair for younger students.
How many words are in each puzzle?
Each puzzle hides 15 or 16 words, listed under the grid so students can check them off.
Can I print them for my whole class?
Yes. The PDFs are free to print as many times as you need, in US Letter or A4.
How do word searches help children learn geography?
Searching for a word makes students read and spell it carefully, which helps new vocabulary such as latitude, peninsula or glacier stick before they use it on a map.
Are there word searches of countries?
Yes – see the countries word searches for themed lists, and the geography word searches and crosswords page for every country of each continent.
Print it, then play it
