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Free Printable Back to School Word Search

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Whether you’re looking for a back to school word search for your classroom or for your children at home, I hope you enjoy this free printable!

Working on puzzles, including word searches, has a variety of benefits for both children and adults. They can help improve spelling, letter and word recognition, and problem solving skills (just to name a few).

These back to school word search free printables are a low-prep way to keep your kids busy without resorting to screen time and they come with an answer key to save you time.

two free printable back to school wood searches on a wood background. There are also two pencils and an eraser on the table.

This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

This back to school word search features 20 education themed words to seek and find, including:

  • Alphabet
  • Apple
  • Backpack 
  • Binder
  • Books
  • Bus
  • Classroom
  • Desk
  • Learn
  • Locker
  • Lunchbox
  • Notebook
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Recess
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Student
  • Teacher
  • Whiteboard

Tips for using printables

Using printables is pretty straightforward, but these tips will help you make the most of these word searches and any other free printables you find!

It’s easy to make this printable reusable if you use a laminator or dry erase pocket.

A dry erase pocket is basically a super strength page protector that’s designed for use with dry (or wet) erase markers. It’s a good alternative if you don’t have a laminator.

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TYH Supplies 10 Pack Heavy Duty Dry Erase Pocket Sleeves | 10 x 14 Inch...
  • Set of 10 Super heavyweight clear erasable pocket, For papers up to 9" x 12"
  • Ideal for work stations - no need to replenish paper - just wipe away and start again
  • Write on and wipe off, Go green, Use over and over again, Use low-odor dry erase markers (included)
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If you find yourself using a lot of free printables, consider purchasing an at home laminating machine. They’re very affordable and pay for themselves in about 10-20 uses when compared to the price of laminating at a copy shop.

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  • PROFESSIONAL FINISH: Two heated rollers with two temperature settings create bubble- and wrinkle-free results that give your holiday paper items a...
  • FAST LAMINATING: Laminates one letter-size page per minute and has a release lever for quick pouch release to save you time during the busy holiday...
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If you chose to protect your pages for reuse, you may want to go ahead and print them on presentation paper so they look their best. Presentation paper is heavier than printer paper and has a special coating for crisp, vibrant images. 

The difference is more noticeable in real life, but the mermaid bingo card on the left was printed on presentation paper while the one on the right was printed on cardstock.

difference between print on presentation paper and cardstock

For one-time use, just plain printer paper is fine. 

Free printable back to school word searches

As always here on The Artisan Life, these printables are available free for personal use.

You can print and use them with your own kids, in your homeschool co-op, Sunday school class, or personal classroom, but please do not redistribute the digital files. Instead, just refer your friends and colleagues to this post so they can download the puzzles for themselves. 🙂

Related: Free printable first day of school signs

This is a more challenging word search for a child – younger kids may need some assistance. The words can be hidden forwards, backwards, and diagonally. The backwards words are (I think) trickiest to find! 

To help you, I am also including an answer key. 

These previews are just low resolution images. Please use the download links (highlighted with grey boxes) below each preview image to get the high resolution PDF. Downloads should start automatically, but you may need to authorize downloads from Dropbox if asked for permission.

First there’s the puzzle with a paperclip background for a fun, school vibe. The paperclips are easy on your colored ink and would also look fine printed in black and white.

preview-of-back-to-school-word-search-with-paperclip-background

Download your paperclip background back to school word search here

Then there’s the same puzzle with a stack of books and an apple in the background. This one uses a little more ink and wouldn’t translate as well into black and white.

preview-of-back-to-school-word-search-with-apple-and-books-in-background

Apple and books back to school word search

Finally, there’s a plain, only black and white version of the word search without any extra adornments. This is obviously the most ink-friendly version!

preview of black and white back to school word search

Black and white back to school word search

Back to School Printables

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Do you need bathroom passes or hall passes? Grab these free printable bathroom passes today!

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I’m a former classroom teacher with a Masters of the Arts in Teaching turned homeschooler. I share educational & planner printables for busy parents and teachers. Simplify your life when you discover how to instantly access 200+ printables here!

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