The whole family of pets
Pets come in fur, feathers, scales and fins, and this word search rounds them all up. You'll be finding the classics — DOG, CAT, RABBIT and HAMSTER — the small-and-speedy GERBIL and FERRET, and the tankside crew, from the GOLDFISH to the colourful FISH darting about.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the menagerie, so the pet shop changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode cuddle hunt once the diagonals and backwards words appear (a CHINCHILLA may hide in backwards).
Feathers, scales and small furballs
There's more to pets than cats and dogs. Keep an eye out for the cage birds — BUDGIE, CANARY, PARAKEET, COCKATIEL and PARROT — the pocket pets like the GUINEA PIG, MOUSE and fluffy CHINCHILLA, the cold-blooded companions the LIZARD, SNAKE and TORTOISE, and even a PONY out in the paddock. We've also hidden a PUPPY and KITTEN for the softies.
Looking after a living thing
Every pet in this grid needs something different, and that's the real lesson behind the fun. A DOG needs daily walks and company, a CAT mostly looks after itself, a RABBIT or GUINEA PIG needs a roomy hutch and a friend (they get lonely on their own), and a GOLDFISH needs a proper tank rather than a tiny bowl. Choosing a pet means matching the animal to the time, space and care you can give it.
Some make better starter pets than others. A HAMSTER, GERBIL or MOUSE is small and cheap to keep but mostly awake at night, while a BUDGIE or CANARY brings song and colour. A TORTOISE is a famously long commitment — some live for 50 years or more, outliving the child who first got them — and a SNAKE or LIZARD needs special heat lamps to stay healthy. Talking through who eats what, who needs company and who lives longest makes a pets word search a lovely, gentle way into an early-years 'caring for animals' topic.
Great for a 'caring for animals' topic
Easy mode keeps the grid small with straight, forwards-only words, ideal for an early-years lesson on pets and looking after them. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own pets.