In this post, I’m going to show you how you can make activities in Canva such as word searches and crosswords in literally seconds. As teachers, we know that word searches are a fantastic way to practice spelling new vocabulary. They are also a lifesaver for keeping students occupied—especially younger learners. I often use them for those “fast finishers” who wrap up activities earlier than expected, allowing me to attend to other students in the classroom.
Crosswords are equally brilliant for language learners. They test a student’s understanding of synonyms and their ability to paraphrase in English. I’m also going to introduce you to something called a communicative crossword, which is a great way to get your students speaking!
Getting Started with Canva
To make these, we’re going to be using Canva. If you haven’t used Canva before, then what are you doing?! Go check out my playlist on YouTube where I cover everything from presentation tools and whiteboards to building worksheets.
Open Canva: Go to your profile and click Create a Design, then search for Worksheet.
Find the App: On the left-hand side, scroll down to Apps and search for “Activities Maker.” It should be the first one that pops up.
Choose Your Activity: Once opened, you’ll see options for a Word Search, Crossword, or Maze.
If you’re short on time, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. I have put together a series of communicative crosswords for various levels and topics that you can take into your class today. That way, you don’t need to read any longer.
1. Creating Word Searches
You can either create your own lists or use ready-made ones like wild animals, countries, or hobbies.
Generate: Once you click generate, the word search appears in the center of your design.
The Teacher Perk: Canva actually gives you two objects: one with the answers (for you!) and one without (for the students).
Export: Hit Share in the top right, go to Download, and select PDF. This is perfect for printing or uploading to Google Classroom.
My Tip: To make a custom list, just click Custom Word List and type your words separated by commas. It’s that easy.
2. Creating Crosswords
The process is very similar to the word search. In the Activities Maker, just toggle over to Crosswords.
Customization: You can choose the number of words (up to 25).
Layout: When you generate it, Canva provides the empty grid, the clues (Across and Down), and the answer key. I recommend creating separate pages in your Canva document to keep the teacher’s answers away from the students’ version!
Custom Clues: If you make a custom crossword, follow this format: Word, Clue. For example: Apple, A round red fruit.
You can check out a preview of the document right now by clicking below.
3. The “Communicative Crossword” (Speaking Activity)
This is a game-changer for the classroom. Also known as a “half-crossword,” it turns a solitary task into a speaking and listening activity.
How to set it up:
Generate a crossword with your chosen words.
Duplicate the student page so you have two identical versions.
Student A: Delete all the “Down” clues.
Student B: Delete all the “Across” clues.
How it works: Each student completes the part of the crossword they do have clues for. Then, they have to speak to each other to get the missing words. For example, if Student A is missing word number three, Student B (who has the answer) must describe it. Give the students time beforehand to think about how they could describe the missing word.
They can read the clue provided or—even better—think outside the box and use their own language to describe the word. This is where the activity really comes into its own!
Ready to use them today?
If you love the look of these but you’re short on time, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. I have put together a series of communicative crosswords for various levels and topics that you can take into your class today.
I hope this helps you and your students.