A whole toy box to find
Toys are something every child loves, and this word search gathers a box full of them. You'll be finding the favourites — a BALL, a DOLL, a TEDDY BEAR and a set of BLOCKS — plus a TRAIN, a ROBOT, a KITE and a wooden PUZZLE.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the toy box changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a fuller toy box once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
What's in the toy box
The grid is stuffed with playthings. There are cuddly toys — the TEDDY and BEAR, the DOLL and a BABY's RATTLE — and building toys like BLOCKS and BRICKS. There's plenty that moves: a bouncy BALL, a wind-up TRAIN, a toy CAR, a ROBOT, a spinning TOP and a YOYO, a flying KITE and a glass of MARBLES. And there's playground fun too — the SLIDE and SWING — plus a PUZZLE, a DRUM, a BIKE and a board GAME.
Why playing is how children learn
Toys might look like just fun, but play is one of the most important ways young children learn — experts sometimes call play 'the work of childhood'. Stacking BLOCKS and BRICKS teaches balance, counting and a first taste of engineering; a jigsaw PUZZLE builds patience and problem-solving; a DOLL or TEDDY helps children practise kindness and act out the world around them; and a BALL, BIKE, SLIDE or SWING builds strong, coordinated bodies.
Some of the best toys are also the simplest. A humble BALL, a wooden TOP or a bag of MARBLES has entertained children for thousands of years — toys very like them have been dug up from ancient Egypt and Rome — proving you don't need batteries to have fun. Naming toys makes a lovely, cheerful early-years topic because every child has a favourite, so finding a YOYO or a ROBOT in the grid is the perfect prompt to chat about the toys they love and how they like to play.
Great for an early-years topic
It's a great prompt for talking about a favourite toy — 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 toy box.