Bible Word Search: A Genesis 1 Sample and Twenty Story Themes
A Bible word search is a grid of letters with hidden words drawn from a Bible story. You get a list of words, such as the people and places in a passage, and find them in the grid. It is a good way for families, classes and groups to learn names and settings. This page gives a sample word list from Genesis 1, shows how to make your own, and describes the twenty puzzles in the Bible Roadmap's Family Bible Puzzles.
A sample: Creation Week (Genesis 1)
Here is the word list for a puzzle on the first chapter of Genesis. You can use it to make a grid of your own (see the steps below).
Words to find: CREATION, LIGHT, DARKNESS, FIRMAMENT, SEAS, EARTH, SUN, MOON, STARS, BIRDS, CATTLE, GARDEN, SABBATH
Fun fact for the puzzle: the creation account in Genesis 1 is organized into six days followed by a seventh day of rest.
How to make your own Bible word search
- Choose a story. A single chapter or episode works best, such as Noah, Joseph or the walls of Jericho.
- Pick 10 to 14 words. Use names, places and objects from the text. Words of 3 to 12 letters fit most grids.
- Draw a square grid. Fourteen by fourteen squares is a comfortable size on a page.
- Place the longest words first. Run them across, down and diagonally, and backward if you want a harder puzzle. Words may cross where the letters match.
- Fill the gaps. Put a random letter in every empty square.
- Keep an answer key. Mark where each word sits so you can check.
- Add a fact. A one-line detail from the story gives solvers something to read when they finish.
For younger children, run words only across and down, and use fewer, shorter words. For adults and teens, add diagonals and backward words.
Ways to use a word search
- At home. A puzzle after dinner is a low-pressure way to revisit a story you read that week.
- In a class. Hand one out as a warm-up on the same theme as the lesson.
- In a group. Work as teams and see who finds all the words first.
- Alone. Use it as a break between reading sessions.
What the Family Bible Puzzles include
The Family Bible Puzzles is a bonus gift in the Bible Roadmap, unlocked in the members area. It holds 20 word searches about people, places and stories from the Bible, and an answer key at the end that highlights where each word is hidden. Each puzzle has a word list, a story reference and a fun fact. The puzzles are:
| Creation Week | Noah and the Ark | Abraham's Journey |
| Joseph in Egypt | The Exodus | Ten Commandments |
| The Tabernacle | Walls of Jericho | Judges of Israel |
| Ruth and Naomi | David the Shepherd | Kings and Temple |
| Psalms and Praise | Wisdom Words | Prophets Speak |
| Daniel in Babylon | Birth of Jesus | Parables of Jesus |
| The Early Church | Letters and Churches |
The puzzles are meant to be printed on letter-size paper.
They follow the order of the Bible's story, from creation to the letters to the early churches, so the set works as a quick walk through the whole Bible. It is a gift in the same purchase as the rest of the Bible Roadmap, whose core is a one-page guide to each of the 66 books, with a chronological reading plan, a Bible-at-a-glance chart, a study method guide and a small group kit.
Where to go next
After a puzzle on a story, read the story. The books of the Bible chart helps you find where it sits. If you take notes in church, the sermon notes template offers a page layout. To plan more reading, see the reading tracker.