American Holidays word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

American Holidays word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this American holidays puzzle set for my 2nd and 3rd graders during our social studies unit. The kids knew about Christmas and Halloween but had no idea why we celebrate Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, New Year's, honor, remember, celebrate, freedom, soldier, and unity. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the meanings behind the holidays finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about what the 4th of July celebrates. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple flag, turkey, and heart drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 1st through 4th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one holiday and write why we celebrate it on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.