Print Joey

Literacy

Crossword puzzles for kids

Kids crossword settings

Age group
Choose a picture theme
Words in this puzzle
  1. 1A brown and white puppy with a red collardogA pet that barks
  2. 2A brown owl with big round eyesowlA bird awake at night
  3. 3A lion with a golden manelionA big cat with a mane
  4. 4A green frog sittingfrogIt jumps and says ribbit
  5. 5A brown bear standing on all foursbearIt sleeps all winter

The theme fills these in. Change any word or clue you like — choosing an age group never rewrites them.

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My Big Animal CrosswordName: A brown bear standing on all foursBEARA brown owl with big round eyesOWLA brown and white puppy with a red collarDOGA green frog sittingFROGA lion with a golden maneLIONF1B2O3L4D5Across2. It sleeps all winter3. A bird awake at night5. A pet that barksDown1. It jumps and says ribbit4. A big cat with a maneCreated with Print Joey — printjoey.com
Page 1 of 3
Word bankOWL, LION, DOG, FROG, BEARCreated with Print Joey — printjoey.com
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Answer keyFBEAROWLDOGION12345Created with Print Joey — printjoey.com
Page 3 of 3 — answer key

Quick guide

How it works

Make a printable crossword a young child can actually fill in. Choose an age group and the generator sets the number of words, the size of the squares and how much help is printed; choose one of six picture themes and the words and clues are written for you. Every square is big enough for a beginner’s pencil, and the sheet prints in a schoolbook typeface with an answer key.

Pick an age group, choose a theme, then change any word you like before printing.

  1. Choose an age group. That sets the number of words, the size of the squares and how much help is printed.

  2. Choose a picture theme — animals, ocean, space, dinosaurs, farm or food. The words and clues come written for the age.

  3. Edit any word or clue you want to change, then download the PDF with its answer key.

Teaching tip

Using these worksheets in teaching

A first crossword is a spelling and vocabulary exercise wearing a puzzle’s clothes: the child reads a clue, retrieves a word they already know, and then has to spell it letter by letter into a fixed number of squares. The first-letter help and the word bank exist so that a child who cannot yet do all three at once can still finish the sheet — start with both switched on, and turn them off one at a time as the class gains confidence.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the difference between this and the crossword maker?

    The crossword maker is for a reader who already reads: you type every word and clue, and it fits up to twenty of them into a compact grid. This sheet is built for a child who is still learning to write. The squares are two to three times larger, the words come ready-written under a theme, and an age group sets how many there are and how much help is printed.

  • What do the age groups change?

    Ages 5–7 gives five words in the biggest squares, with the first letter of every answer printed in and a word bank underneath. Ages 8–10 gives eight words in large squares and keeps the word bank. Ages 11+ gives ten words and no help. Every one of those settings stays on the page afterwards, so you can change any of them without losing the rest.

  • Can I use my own words?

    Yes. Pick the theme closest to what you are teaching and then edit any word or clue in the list — the grid rebuilds as you type. Changing an age group never rewrites your words; only choosing a new theme does that.

  • Why are the squares so big?

    A five-year-old writing a capital letter needs far more room than an adult, and a crossword printed at an adult size is the reason many young children give up on one. The squares here grow to fill the page: the fewer the words, the larger each square becomes.

  • Is there an answer key?

    Yes — the completed grid prints on a second page, so you can check the sheet without solving it yourself.

Related tools

Last reviewed: July 2026. Worksheet content is generated by deterministic algorithms and covered by automated correctness tests — no AI-generated answers.