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Word Search Relay

A team relay where students find one word each, so every learner contributes and spelling gets rehearsed out loud.

Learning outcomes

All tools are free, with no sign-up, and every sheet can be printed with an answer key.

Open the Word Search generator, pick a theme such as School or Animals, choose 8 words and print one copy per team. Tick the solution sheet and keep it for yourself.
Seat teams of four in a row at their desks, with the puzzle face-down in the middle.
On your signal, student one turns the sheet over, finds a word, circles it and says it aloud before passing the pencil on.
Teammates keep passing the pencil until all 8 words are circled. Teams raise their hands when finished.
Check the sheets against the solution sheet, then ask each team to read their words in alphabetical order for a final spelling rehearsal.

Give younger students an Easy (8 x 8) grid with 5 words and let teams say each word's first letter before searching.

Use a Hard grid with 12 words and ask teams to write one sentence for each word they find.

Students scan systematically rather than randomly, spell words aloud correctly, and pass the pencil without being asked.

How do I stop one student doing all the work?

The relay rule does it for you: only the student holding the pencil may search, and the pencil moves after every word.

Can I use my own spelling words?

The Word Search tool uses built-in themes. For your own list, pair this relay with the Missing Letters tool, which accepts custom words.