Summer Word Scramble (Free Printable Puzzle)

The word list

All 24 words are loaded above. Add places you are visiting this summer, or the names of your cousins, to make it your own.

How to use a summer word scramble

Summer boredom has a particular sound, usually a sigh from the back seat or the hammock. Keep a few sheets of this scramble in a folder and hand one out whenever it starts.

1. Print three different puzzles and keep them in a folder or a beach bag.
2. Give a sheet and a pencil to anyone who looks restless.
3. Allow a time limit if you want a race, or let the sheet stay out all week.
4. Tick words as they are solved and check the answer key at the end.
5. Keep unsolved sheets to finish later on a rainy day.

Summer variations

• Poolside race. Set up a puzzle station at the pool or beach and send swimmers back to the towels to solve a word between swims.
• Camp cabin challenge. Cabins compete to solve a whole sheet first, and the winning cabin picks the campfire song.
• Road trip relay. Take turns, with each passenger solving one word before passing the sheet on.

Tips for easy summer fun

Choose three puzzles so siblings get different arrangements and cannot copy each other.

Add the word bank for younger children, or turn it off for older kids who will enjoy the challenge.

Print a few sheets for the end of term and use them as a calm activity when the weather is too hot for much else.

Printing for hot weather

Sun, sand and water are rough on paper, so print on cardstock or use a zip bag. Bright yellow or aqua paper adds to the mood. A sheet folded in half fits a back pocket, and a pencil is more reliable than a pen on damp paper.