Everyone in the family
Talking about family is one of the first things little ones learn, and this word search gathers them. You'll be finding MOM and DAD (and MUM too), big SISTER and BROTHER, the new BABY, and the wider FAMILY — AUNT, UNCLE, GRANNY and GRANDPA.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the family changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a bigger family tree once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Everyone in the grid
The grid holds the whole family. There are PARENTS — MOM, DAD or MUM — and their children: a SON or DAUGHTER, a CHILD, a BABY, and SIBLINGS like a SISTER and BROTHER (or even TWINS). Then comes the wider family — the GRANNY and GRANDPA, the AUNT and UNCLE, the COUSIN, and the NIECE and NEPHEW who are an aunt or uncle's children.
How a family fits together
Family words are really a little map of how people are connected, and untangling them is a fun puzzle in itself. Your AUNT is your mum or dad's SISTER, your UNCLE is their BROTHER, and their children are your COUSINS — while you are their NIECE (if you're a girl) or NEPHEW (if you're a boy). Go up a step and your GRANNY and GRANDPA are your parents' own parents, which makes them your PARENTS' parents and your great big family tree.
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and that's the loveliest part of the topic. Some children have one parent, some have two, some live with grandparents, step-parents or guardians, and some have lots of SIBLINGS while others have none. There's no single 'right' family, and the words in this grid simply give children the language to describe and talk about their own. That's why family is such a warm early-years topic — find a word, then chat about who fills that role in your house.
Great for an early-years topic
It's a lovely prompt for talking about each child's own family — Easy mode uses a small grid with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own family's names.
Frequently asked questions
Which family words are in the word search?
All the family — mom, dad, sister, brother and baby, plus aunt, uncle, granny, grandpa, cousin, niece, nephew and more. Each puzzle uses a fresh selection.
Does it include the wider family?
It does — MOM, DAD, SISTER, BROTHER and the BABY, plus the wider family: AUNT, UNCLE, GRANNY, GRANDPA, COUSIN, NIECE and NEPHEW.
Is it good for an early-years topic?
Perfectly — it's a lovely prompt for talking about each child's own family. Easy mode uses a small grid with no diagonals or reverse words.