Chinese word search puzzles for kids

Each Chinese word search puzzle is a 10 by 10 grid of simplified characters with about ten words to find. Every word in the list has a small picture beside it, so a child who can't read 长颈鹿 yet can still look for it. Words run across, down or diagonally, and the answer pages at the back have each one highlighted.

Topics in the puzzles

• Animals and food: animals, farm animals, pets, insects, fruit, vegetables, and food and drinks

• Home and family: my family, my home, names, greetings, feelings, daily activities, jobs, household items, tableware and body parts

• School: classroom objects, classroom phrases, stationery, school supplies, subjects, school life, science and online lessons

• Numbers, time and weather: numbers, colours, shapes, dates, days of the week, telling the time, seasons and weather

• Play and going out: toys, the playground, sports, hobbies, shopping, transport, clothes, countries and princess stories

• Festivals and culture: Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Double Ninth Festival, Chinese culture, Children's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Earth Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas

• Words that do a job: positions (方位), asking where (哪里), opposites (反义词) and measure words (量词)

Which ages they suit

The words are the first ones children meet in Chinese: 动物, 水果, 颜色, 家人. The puzzles suit K2 to Primary 2, and older children who are new to Chinese. A child who reads only a few characters can still find a word by matching its shape. One who reads more can cover the pictures and find each word from the characters alone.

How to use the puzzles

• Print one topic at a time. The pages are US Letter size, so choose Fit to page when you print on A4.

• Read the list aloud together first, pointing at each picture.

• Circle each word in the grid, then tick it off the list.

• Check against the answer page, then say each word once more. If your child keeps missing one, try writing it.

For a small reward when a few pages are done, our printable rewards chart has 30 days to colour in. For younger brothers and sisters, there is a vehicle colouring book.