Glaciers and Ice Caps Word Search, Scramble and Crossword Puzzle

Earth science puzzles on glaciers and ice caps, where crossword clues define terms like calving, moraine, drumlin and permafrost, alongside a word search and a word scramble.
Year levels
Years 2–5
Pages
6
File type
PDF
Answer key
Included

Updated Oct 26, 2026

Subject
Vocabulary, Holiday & Seasonal, Reading, Language Development, English
Topic
Word Search, Word Scramble
Resource types
Crosswords Puzzles, Word Searches
Answer key
Included

From the author

About this resource

I made this glaciers and ice caps puzzle set for my Year 3 and Year 4 students during our Earth science unit. The kids knew ice was cold but had no idea that glaciers move or that ice caps hold most of the world's freshwater. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like glacier, ice cap, ice sheet, Antarctica, Greenland, calving, moraine, drumlin, esker, permafrost, and fjord. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the vocabulary sink in.

The PDFs are six pages. Three puzzles, each with its own answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue over the difference between a glacier and an iceberg. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple ice and mountain drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for Year 2 through Year 5. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers explain why melting ice caps matter on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • Match glacier and ice-cap terms to their definitions

  • Spell earth science vocabulary such as ice sheet and permafrost

Skills covered

  • Solving definition clues — students fill the crossword with terms such as moraine and esker

  • Spelling science terms — students unscramble glacier and ice-cap words

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