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Hibernation and Animals in Winter Word Search

Find 15 words about how animals survive winter

Fifteen easy words about how animals get through winter: some hibernate, some migrate and some adapt. Print it for a preK to grade 3 unit or a snowy afternoon. One gentle science note to share: groundhogs are true hibernators, and their body temperature drops far below normal. Bears hibernate differently: their body temperature drops only a little, a lighter state some scientists call torpor, which is why a bear can wake more easily than a groundhog.

Free printable PDF with a full answer key, sized for US Letter and free for classroom use. Want your own title or words? Open it in the word search editor with everything already filled in.

Word SearchPreview

Hibernation and Animals in Winter Word Search

Find 15 words about how animals survive winter

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Word List

  • HIBERNATE
  • GROUNDHOG
  • CHIPMUNK
  • MIGRATE
  • BURROW
  • TORPOR
  • WINTER
  • ADAPT
  • SLEEP
  • BEAR
  • SNOW
  • NEST
  • FROG
  • DEN
  • BAT
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What is a Word Search?

A word search hides a list of words in a grid of letters. Words can run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Your job is to find and circle each one.

How to solve it

Scan rows and columns for the first letter of each word, then trace in all eight directions. Check off words as you find them.

Who is this for?

Word searches are perfect for all ages — from young students building vocabulary to adults who enjoy a relaxing mental exercise. Teachers use them for vocabulary preview activities, early finishers, and classroom brain breaks.

About this puzzle

Free printable hibernation word search: find 15 words about animals in winter, from den and burrow to migrate. Easy level with answer key. Instant PDF download.

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Format: US Letter PDF with answer key
  • Free to download, print, and use
  • Commercial use allowed for KDP publishers

Step-by-step: solving the Hibernation and Animals in Winter Word Search

  1. Print the PDF. Download the free PDF and print both pages — the puzzle and the answer key — on standard US Letter paper.
  2. Scan for first letters. Read down the word list, then look across rows and columns of the grid for the first letter of each word.
  3. Trace in any direction. Words run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — and can be forward or backward. Once you spot a starting letter, trace in all eight directions.
  4. Check off found words. Cross each found word off the list. When the list is empty, compare with the answer key to verify.

Frequently asked questions

Which animals hibernate in winter and why?›
Groundhogs, chipmunks and many bats hibernate, slowing their heartbeat and breathing to save energy when food is scarce and the weather is cold. Bears also hibernate, but their body stays much warmer, a lighter state some scientists call torpor, while cold-blooded animals such as wood frogs and turtles go dormant. Other animals migrate to warmer places, and some adapt by growing thicker or whiter coats.
What is in this hibernation word search?›
Fifteen words: hibernate, migrate, adapt, den, burrow, groundhog, bear, bat, chipmunk, torpor, snow, winter, sleep, nest and frog. It is the easy level, for preK to grade 3 with a little help, and the answer key prints on its own page.
Is there a bigger hibernation puzzle pack?›
Yes. The $2.99 Hibernation and Animals in Winter Puzzle Pack adds a crossword, a cryptogram, a word scramble, a word fill-in and a bigger word search, with thirty new words from wood frog and ladybug to geese and snowshoe hare.
Can words go diagonally or backward?›
Yes. Words in this puzzle run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — and they may go forward or backward. Always scan in all eight directions from a candidate starting letter.
Is there an answer key?›
Yes. Every free PuzzlePage word search PDF includes a separate answer-key page that highlights or lists every hidden word.
What grade level is this for?›
Word searches in this collection work well from upper-elementary through adult. Teachers often use them as vocabulary preview, classroom downtime, or sub-day filler.
Can I customize this puzzle?›
Yes. Open it in the free Word Search editor with the words already filled in, then change the title, edit or add words and pick a difficulty. Downloads are free with your email, and Premium removes the PuzzlePage credit.

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