Day of the Dead Día de los Muertos word search, scramble and crossword

Day of the Dead Día de los Muertos word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Day of the Dead vocabulary puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our fall cultural unit. The kids had heard of the holiday but had no idea what words like ofrenda, marigold, or sugar skull meant when we learned about different traditions around the world. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Día de los Muertos, ofrenda, altar, marigold, sugar skull, candle, incense, photo, memory, celebrate, ancestor, family, tradition, and November. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the Day of the Dead vocabulary finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or indoor recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether the holiday is sad or joyful. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple sugar skull, marigold, and candle drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers write one thing they learned about Día de los Muertos on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.