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The Tar Heel State · State 12 of 50

Free North Carolina Puzzles for Kids

This free North Carolina puzzle pack is a printable PDF with five puzzles about the Tar Heel State: a crossword, a word search, a word fill-in, a word scramble and a cryptogram, with every answer key at the back. It is written for kids in grades 2 to 8 and works for a state report, a social studies unit or a rainy afternoon. Kids learn that Raleigh is the capital, that the Wright brothers made the first powered airplane flights at Kill Devil Hills in 1903, and that Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. A fact page lists the state bird (the cardinal), the state flower (the dogwood), the state tree (the pine) and more. Print it on US Letter paper in color or black and white.

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What is in the free North Carolina puzzle pack

Thirteen printable pages: a cover, a welcome page with fast facts, five puzzles, a page of true facts, answer keys for every puzzle, and a collect-all-50 checklist.

  1. Puzzle 1 · Crossword

    North Carolina Crossword

    12 clues about North Carolina

  2. Puzzle 2 · Word Search

    North Carolina Places to Explore

    Cities, mountains, capes and islands from the Smokies to the sea

  3. Puzzle 3 · Word Fill-In

    North Carolina Animals

    Creatures of the mountains, the swamps and the coast

  4. Puzzle 4 · Word Scramble

    North Carolina Favorites

    Things to eat and do in the Tar Heel State

  5. Puzzle 5 · Cryptogram

    North Carolina Secret Fact

    Crack the code to learn when North Carolina became a state

Did you know? 10 facts about North Carolina for kids

  • North Carolina became the 12th state when it approved the U.S. Constitution on November 21, 1789.
  • Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, with about 875,000 people at the 2020 Census.
  • On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered airplane flights at Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk.
  • Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.
  • In 1799, a boy named Conrad Reed found a 17-pound gold nugget on his family's farm, the first documented gold find in the U.S.
  • Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, about 198 feet tall, is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States.
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which North Carolina shares with Tennessee, is the most visited national park in the country.
  • North Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state, more than half of the nation's crop.
  • Wild Venus flytraps grow only in a small part of North and South Carolina, mostly within about 75 miles of Wilmington.
  • The Blue Ridge Parkway winds 469 miles through the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.

North Carolina Super Pack · $1.99

20 more North Carolina puzzles, each with its own theme

Finished already? The North Carolina Super Pack has 20 more puzzles: Outer Banks lighthouses, the first flight, Blue Ridge waterfalls, sea turtles, colonial mysteries and mountain music. Twenty puzzles from the mountains to the sea, $1.99.

  • Five word searches, five cryptograms, five word scrambles and five word fill-ins
  • Nothing repeats the free pack
  • An answer key for every puzzle
  • One payment, no subscription; print it for your home or classroom
See a free sample

All 20 puzzles in the North Carolina Super Pack

  1. 1North Carolina Outer BanksWord Search
  2. 2North Carolina Farm CropsWord Scramble
  3. 3North Carolina Ocean LifeWord Fill-In
  4. 4North Carolina Flight FactCryptogram
  5. 5North Carolina MountainsWord Search
  6. 6North Carolina State SymbolsWord Scramble
  7. 7North Carolina Forest AnimalsWord Fill-In
  8. 8North Carolina Mountain FactCryptogram
  9. 9North Carolina Native NationsWord Search
  10. 10North Carolina Beach DayWord Scramble
  11. 11North Carolina PlantsWord Fill-In
  12. 12North Carolina Gold FactCryptogram
  13. 13North Carolina Cities and TownsWord Search
  14. 14North Carolina Colonial DaysWord Scramble
  15. 15North Carolina Rivers and LakesWord Fill-In
  16. 16North Carolina Lighthouse FactCryptogram
  17. 17North Carolina First FlightWord Search
  18. 18North Carolina Music and CraftsWord Scramble
  19. 19North Carolina Sports and OutdoorsWord Fill-In
  20. 20North Carolina Sweet FactCryptogram

North Carolina puzzles: frequently asked questions

What is in the free North Carolina puzzle pack?
Five printable puzzles about North Carolina: a 12-clue crossword, a 15-word search of places to explore, a fill-in of North Carolina animals, a word scramble of favorite things to eat and do, and a cryptogram that hides a true fact. There is also a fast-facts page and a full answer key. It is one free PDF for grades 2 to 8.
What is the capital of North Carolina?
Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina. It sits in the middle of the state, in the region called the Piedmont. Charlotte is the largest city, with about 875,000 people at the 2020 Census. North Carolina became the 12th state on November 21, 1789.
What are North Carolina's state symbols?
The state bird is the cardinal, the state flower is the dogwood and the state tree is the pine. The state mammal is the gray squirrel, the state vegetable is the sweet potato and the state carnivorous plant is the Venus flytrap, which grows wild only in a small area of the Carolinas.
Why is North Carolina called the Tar Heel State?
North Carolina is called the Tar Heel State because its pine forests once made huge amounts of tar, pitch and turpentine. During the 1860s, North Carolina soldiers took up the name with pride, and it stuck. Today people from North Carolina are often called Tar Heels.
Is there a bigger North Carolina puzzle pack?
Yes. The North Carolina Super Pack is 20 more puzzles for $1.99: five word searches, five cryptograms, five word scrambles and five word fill-ins, each on its own theme, from the Outer Banks to the first flight. None of them repeats the free pack, and every puzzle has an answer key.

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