Fourth of July Word Scramble

Today I'm finishing up my recent series of free printables for Independence Day with a Fourth of July word scramble. I hope you enjoy!

This post includes affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission in purchases made through links at no additional cost to you.

If you missed the other posts, you can find 4th of July coloring pages, a 4th of July word search, and 10 unique bingo cards for the Fourth of July by following the links.

Because I know a lot of people are mindful of using up all their ink, I created two versions of this puzzle. They're the same except one features red, white, and blue while the other is plain black and white to save your ink.

Looking for more family-friendly 4th of July fun? Be sure to check out the Fourth of July Family Activity Pack! It has 33 pages of activities to stave off complaints of boredom while waiting for the parade:

Tips for using your printables

Children love doing the same activity over and over again. (I'm sure you've noticed how repetitive kid's songs are!) Instead of printing half a dozen copies for one child, consider laminating them or placing the printouts in a 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.

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)

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.

Tip: If you catch this Scotch laminator under $25, it's a great price and you should get it before the price changes!

Scotch Thermal Laminator, 2 Roller System for a Professional Finish, Use...

#1 Laminating Brand*
Laminates items up to 9 inches wide
Two heated rollers create high quality professional, bubble and wrinkle-free results

If you save your pages for reuse, you can put this 4th of July word scramble in with your other seasonal decorations and bring it out for your kids to use again next year!

You may also want to print a stack of these and hand them out at your cookout or party! Pair them with a patriotic pencil for a fun party favor to keep the kids busy while adults cook. (Or while you enjoy a minute relaxing - you deserve a minute to yourself!)

USA Patriotic PENCILS

This is the point where I'm supposed to tell you all about how you can set up a contest to see who finishes the word scramble first and then link to a bunch of swag you can give away as prizes.

But I actually don't believe in that!

Instead, I think you should encourage your kids to do the word puzzle for the fun and enjoyment of it and to collaborate and help each other out.

I am a huge believer in Alfie Kohn's work. His books Punished by Rewards and Unconditional Parenting convinced me that rewards, praise, and incentives are actually destructive and counter-productive. If that sounds super crazy, you can read an interview with Alfie Kohn here.

(If you're interested in his books, I really recommend checking them out on Audible because he does his own narration and it's interesting to hear what he emphasizes. Sign up for a free trial of Audible, get two free books, and listen to them both! 😉 )

Alright, soapbox mode deactivated! Let's take a look at the free printables:

Free printable Independence Day word scramble

The word scramble features 10 Independence Day-related words. If your child finds the puzzle too challenging, you can give them a word bank by copying the words from the answer key onto a mother sheet of paper (just make sure you don't write them down in order!)

This word scramble is free for personal use. You can print it out for your own kids, classroom, scout troop, group at camp, etc., but please do not redistribute the digital files. Instead, simply refer your friends to this post so they can download their own copy!

The images are just low resolution previews. Please follow the links to download the PDF files from DropBox.

First there's the colorful 4th of July word scramble with a patriotic background.