French Basics Animals word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

French Basics Animals word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this French basics animals puzzle set for my 1st and 2nd graders during our French unit. The kids could name animals in English but had no idea what words like chien, chat, or oiseau meant when we started learning French animal names. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like chien, chat, oiseau, poisson, cheval, vache, cochon, mouton, poule, canard, lapin, souris, tortue, and serpent. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the French animal 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 "oiseau" is a bird or a specific type. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple dog, cat, and bird drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for K through 3rd grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw their favorite animal and label it in French on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.