Earth Day Crossword

Here’s a free printable Earth Day crossword puzzle. It’s a fun, simple, no-prep Earth Day activity you can use right away.

It’s designed for upper elementary kids.

Students will test their knowledge of ways we can all help protect our planet while enjoying a fun crossword puzzle. They’ll also practice vocabulary and spelling in a way that feels more like a puzzle than schoolwork.

An answer key is included so you can quickly check their work and move on with your day.

A black and white printable Earth Day crossword puzzle for upper elementary students around 5th grade. The puzzle has 8 clues down and 8 clues across. The printable Earth Day word puzzle is decorated with images of a recycling bin, the Earth, and a girl carrying a recycling bin. The images can be colored.

Difficulty Level

The crossword puzzle was designed with upper elementary students in mind.

Many of the puzzle’s words are 5th grade spelling words, making this a great spelling and vocabulary activity for 5th graders.

The crossword puzzle has 16 clues to solve, giving kids a manageable challenge without feeling overwhelming.

How to Use This Crossword

This puzzle is easy to fit into your day with little to no prep. Here are a few simple ways to use it:

As a quick Earth Day activity
Print it out for a simple, meaningful activity that fits into your Earth Day plans.
For quiet time or independent work
Kids can work through the clues on their own while you help another child or take a short break.
As a vocabulary or spelling review
Use it to reinforce Earth Day words and concepts in a way that feels more like a game.
For early finishers
Keep a copy on hand for kids who finish their work early and need something productive to do.
As a low-prep homeschool activity
It’s a simple option for days when you need something ready to go without extra planning.

Download and Print

The Earth Day crossword puzzle can be downloaded for free using either form below.

The PDF includes a page with the answers. Print page 1 to only print the puzzle page.

The puzzle prints in black and white for budget-friendly printing.

More Earth Day Activities

Upper elementary students might also enjoy these printable Earth Day activities:

a 4th grade Earth Day crossword
a medium to difficult Earth Day word search
an Earth Day fill in word puzzle where kids will be challenged to fit 35 Earth Day words into the crossword like puzzle
9 printable Earth Day bookmarks to color

Answer Key

Here is the answer key for this Earth Day crossword:

Down:

2 – LIGHTS
3 – BATTERIES
5 – ELECTRICITY
7 – TRANSPORTATION
9 – WIND
10 – VOLUNTEER
11 – COMPOST
15 – EXTINCT
17 – BOXES

Across:

1 – WALK
4 – BEES
6 – BAGS
8 – CHEMICALS
12 – AIR
13 – APRIL
14 – DECOMPOSE
16 – GARBAGE
18 – EARTH

You can find more printable Earth Day activities here.