Sport Traditions Around the World word search, scramble and crossword

Sport Traditions Around the World word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this sport traditions around the world vocabulary puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our global studies and physical education unit. The kids knew about soccer and basketball, but they had no idea what words like kabaddi, jai alai, or sepak takraw meant when we explored the many ways people play sports around the world. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like soccer, cricket, rugby, baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, kabaddi, jai alai, sepak takraw, hurling, and sumo. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the global sports 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 independent practice. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether cricket and baseball are similar (they both use bats and balls but are very different—the kids always have opinions about it). The crossword I use for partners or as a review after we've looked at pictures of different sports from around the world. I added a couple simple cricket bat, soccer ball, and sumo wrestler drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one sport from the puzzles and write its country of origin on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.