Tall Tales Paul Bunyan word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Paul Bunyan puzzle set for my 2nd and 3rd graders during our tall tales unit. The kids were obsessed with the giant lumberjack and Babe the Blue Ox, but they had no idea what words like lumberjack, bunkhouse, or timber meant when we talked about logging and the tall tale genre . So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Paul Bunyan, Babe, lumberjack, oxen, cradle, blue, gigantic, woods, timber, and logging. I also threw in a few like "prairie," "anvil," "bunkhouse," and "flapjacks" because the kids always ask about what those are .

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 the spelling of "Babe" or whether the ox was actually blue or just a story (I always tell them it's a tall tale, so we get to decide) . The crossword I use for partners, and I usually have a picture of Paul and Babe nearby for the kids who need a visual. I added a couple simple axe, ox, and tree stump drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 4th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw their own tall tale exaggeration on the back and label it with three words from the puzzle. The kids actually ask for these now.