This free printable difficult animals word search is a fun and challenging puzzle for kids and anyone who enjoys finding hidden words.
This printable word search has a variety of animals, including:
- safari animals
- ocean animals
- reptiles
- farm animals
- birds
- and other mammals.
Kids will search for animals like lion, tiger, dolphin, zebra, kangaroo, owl, penguin, octopus, and many more hidden in the grid.
Because this puzzle includes longer and slightly more challenging animal names like squirrel, alligator, and iguana, it works well as a spelling and vocabulary activity. Searching for these words helps kids become more familiar with their spelling while building word recognition.
Word search puzzles are also great for improving concentration, visual scanning skills, and pattern recognition. They make a fun screen-free activity for classrooms, homeschool lessons, early finishers, or quiet time at home.
The PDF is free to download and print, and includes an answer page to make checking the puzzle quick and easy.
Difficulty Level
This is a difficult word search puzzle.
The puzzle has 35 animal words to find and circle. They are hidden in a 20 X 21 grid of uppercase letters.
The large grid and long list of animal words make it more challenging than typical beginner puzzles.
Because of this, it is best suited for:
- Upper elementary students
- Middle school students
- Teens and adults who enjoy word searches
- Puzzle lovers looking for a challenge
Words can appear in any direction: horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards, which increases the level of difficulty.
Download and Print
Use either of the forms below to get your copy of this free printable difficult animals word search.
The printable will be sent directly to your inbox, where you can download and print it right away.
The puzzle prints on standard letter-size paper (8.5 X 11). The PDF includes an answer page.
More Animal Word Searches
Younger children might enjoy these printable animal themed word searches:
- kindergarten farm animals word search with a picture for each word
- kindergarten zoo animal word search
- 1st grade ocean animals word search
- 1st grade hibernating animals word search
- arctic animals word search for 1st and 2nd grade
More Animals Word Puzzles
Here are some more free printable animal word puzzles for kids:
- a fun bird crossword puzzle for kids around 2nd grade
- spring animals fill in word puzzle for ages 9 and up
- an easy ocean animals fill in puzzle for ages 8-12
Answer Key
If you or your child is struggling to find a word, you can locate it quickly with this color coded answer key:
You can find more fun printable word puzzles here.