March Madness word Scramble puzzle worksheet

March Madness word Scramble puzzle worksheet activity

March Madness Word Scramble – Hoops Hysteria

I created this for my PE class during tournament time, and it turned into the ultimate basketball brain break. Students race to unscramble 24 buzzer-beater terms like "alley-oop," "bracket," and "Cinderella story"—then act them out (watching kids "dribble" imaginary balls while shouting "SLEETPOH!" (elbow pass) is priceless!).

What’s Inside:
✔ 2 printable pages (scramble + answer key)
✔ Bonus "Bracket Blitz" challenge (rank scrambled terms by difficulty)
✔ Court-ready clipart (sneakers, nets, trophies)

Gym Class Glory:
“A student solved ‘REFFUJ’ (jumper) and immediately nailed a perfect shot—crowd went wild!” – Coach D., Middle School

Perfect For:
• Tournament viewing parties
• Sports-themed ELA lessons
• Indoor recess saves

Sample Scrambles:

• RABKECT (Answer: bracket)

• OZELBUER (Answer: buzzer)

• DNALESREIC (Answer: Cinderella)

Coach’s Call:
Turn your room into a "shot clock"—students have 24 seconds (timer included!) to solve words before "overtime