Famous Composers word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Famous Composers word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this famous composers puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our music unit. The kids could hum Beethoven's 5th and Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" but had no idea who wrote the music we listened to in class or how to connect the names to the pieces. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using names like Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Gershwin, Handel, Haydn, Joplin, Liszt, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Vivaldi. I also threw in a few lesser-known but important names like Clara Schumann and Scott Joplin to broaden the mix.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or when the music class gets a bit too loud. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about how to spell "Tchaikovsky" or whether "Bach" rhymes with "rock" or "lock" (still not settled, honestly). The crossword works better for partners, and I've even used it as a simple sub plan when I'm out for a music PD day. I added a couple simple music note, treble clef, and piano key drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one composer from the puzzles and write one fact about them—like where they were born or one famous piece they wrote—on the back. The kids actually ask for these now, and it beats having them just stare at the composer posters on the wall.