Free Games How to play
The grid hides Halloween words, and the list beside it tells you which ones. They run in straight lines: across, down or diagonally. On the Larger grid a few may also read backwards. To mark a word, tap its first letter, then its last letter. If the line between them spells a word on the list, it turns green and is crossed off. There is no timer and no score.
Choose a Size to suit you. Easy is an eight-by-eight grid with six words, Medium is ten by ten with eight, and Larger is twelve by twelve with ten. New puzzle mixes up the words and the grid.
Printing a Halloween word search
Press Print this puzzle and your printer gets the grid you see, in large letters across most of the page, with the word list underneath. The buttons are left off the paper. Press New puzzle before each print for a stack of different ones, which is handy for a group or a party table. For more to do at a Halloween gathering, see Halloween games for a group, with printed bingo cards and a read-aloud quiz.
The words
Each puzzle uses some of these 14: Pumpkin, Lantern, Costume, Candy, Ghost, Witch, Broom, Spider, Moon, Cider, Scarecrow, Cauldron, Hayride, Treat. They are October words rather than scary ones.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this Halloween word search free?
- Yes. It is free to play and to print, with no sign-up and no email required. There are no pop-ups and nothing that sits over the puzzle. To keep the site free I may show a few small, clearly-marked ads off to the side.
- Can I print it?
- Yes. Press Print this puzzle under the grid. The printout has the grid in large letters with the word list underneath, and none of the buttons. Press New puzzle first if you want a different grid, and print as many as you like.
- Which words are hidden?
- Each puzzle hides some of these 14 words: Pumpkin, Lantern, Costume, Candy, Ghost, Witch, Broom, Spider, Moon, Cider, Scarecrow, Cauldron, Hayride, Treat. The Easy grid uses 6 of them, Medium 8 and Larger 10, so New puzzle gives you a different set.
- How do I select a word?
- There is no dragging. Tap the first letter of a word, then tap the last letter. If the straight line between them spells a word from the list, it is marked as found and crossed off for you.
- What if I cannot find a word?
- Press the orange Hint button. It highlights the first letter of a word you have not found yet and tells you which way it reads. Press Hint again and it shows you the whole word.
The everyday Word Search has six other themes, from the garden to the seaside, and there are more word puzzles on the word games page.
