Grief and Loss Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Grief and Loss Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this grief and loss vocabulary puzzle set for my 5th graders during our social-emotional learning unit, though I also ended up using it with 4th graders who needed it. The kids could feel sad but had no idea what words like grief, loss, or remember meant when we talked about difficult feelings. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like grief, loss, sad, miss, remember, family, friend, pet, memory, care, and loved one. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the 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 ask questions about what grief feels like. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple heart, memory, and star drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 5th grade, and sometimes 4th depending on the student. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers write a memory of someone special on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.