This Thanksgiving Bible word search hides 18 words from Psalm 100 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18: words like praise, gates, courts and give thanks. Kids can play it right here on a phone or tablet (drag across a word to circle it), or you can print it with a separate answer key for your Sunday or Sabbath School class, kids' church or the Thanksgiving table.
Read it first
Psalm 100 is short enough to read aloud in under a minute, and it is where most of the puzzle words come from. It was a song for walking into the temple: "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4). Read it once, then let kids hunt for the words they just heard.
Talk about it while they search
- Psalm 100 says we are God's sheep and he is our shepherd. What does a shepherd do for sheep?
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says give thanks in everything. Is it hard to say thank you on a bad day? What could you thank God for anyway?
- Before Jesus fed 5,000 people with five barley loaves, he gave thanks for them (John 6:11). What food are you thankful for this week?
A Thanksgiving table idea
Print one copy per family and leave it on the table with a pencil. Whoever finds a word says one thing they are thankful for before they circle it. The Hard level is big enough to keep the cousins busy until the food comes out.
Questions teachers ask
What ages is this Thanksgiving Bible word search for?
Easy (10 by 10, words only go across and down) works for most kids from about age 6. Medium adds diagonal words and suits ages 8 to 10. Hard is a 15 by 15 grid with backwards words, good for preteens and anyone who finishes early.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Press Print and the answer key prints on its own page after the puzzle, for whichever level you picked. You can untick it if you only want the puzzle.
Do I need to sign up to print it?
No. There is no account and no email gate. Print as many copies as your class needs, for church, classroom or home.
Where do the words come from?
Most of them come from Psalm 100, the psalm Israel sang on the way into the temple courts with a thank offering, plus 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which tells us to give thanks in everything.
