Synonyms Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Synonyms Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this synonyms puzzle set for my 2nd and 3rd graders during our vocabulary unit. The kids knew what "happy" meant but had no idea they could also say "glad," "joyful," or "cheerful." So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like happy/glad, sad/unhappy, big/large, small/tiny, fast/quick, slow/sluggish, smart/intelligent, nice/kind, pretty/beautiful, ugly/plain, loud/noisy, quiet/silent, cold/chilly, hot/warm, start/begin, end/finish, and make/create. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the vocabulary grow.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether "big" and "large" always mean the same thing. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple smile and frown drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 4th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers write a synonym for three of the words on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.