40 free levels
English · Story Woods
Word Woods
Hunt for hidden words on the woodland signboard, and learn a fact with every find.
- Grades
- K–5
- Levels
- 96 in 4 tracks
- Free
- 40 levels
- Session
- 4–12 minutes
What it is
A wooden signboard in a sunny forest is full of letters, and Olly's word list says what is hiding there. Drag across a word, or tap its first and last letters. Every word you find glows on the board and shares a short fact or sentence: sight words for new readers, then animals, the human body, weather and space. Younger grids hide words across and down; later ones use slants and backwards words.
What children learn
Word recognition and spelling: spotting whole words letter by letter, reading sight words, and building science vocabulary (animals, body parts, weather and space) with a short fact for each word.
What it teaches
- Spot and spell words
- Build and read words
How to play
Drag from the first letter to the last letter of a word, or tap the first letter and then the last. Keyboard: arrow keys move around the grid, Enter marks the first letter and Enter again marks the last; Escape clears. Tap a word in the list to hear it.
Plays with: Touch Mouse Keyboard Pen
Accessibility
- Read-aloud on request
- Fully playable with a keyboard
- Calm mode with reduced motion
- No timers or time pressure
- Never relies on color alone
- Quiet mode turns off sound effects
Level maps
Tracks and levels
Each track is made for a grade range. Start anywhere that fits — you don't have to play the younger tracks first. As a guest, your stars are saved on this device.
Sight Word Trail
Small grids of everyday sight words, hidden across and then down.
K–1
24 levels · 10 free
Sight Word Trail
Small grids of everyday sight words, hidden across and then down. · K–1
- 1 Sunny Path 1 ☆☆☆
- 2 Sunny Path 2 ☆☆☆
- 3 Sunny Path 3 ☆☆☆
- 4 Sunny Path 4 ☆☆☆
- 5 Sunny Path 5 ☆☆☆
- 6 Sunny Path Challenge ☆☆☆
- 7 Fern Hollow 1 ☆☆☆
- 8 Fern Hollow 2 ☆☆☆
- 9 Fern Hollow 3 ☆☆☆
- 10 Fern Hollow 4 ☆☆☆
- 11 Fern Hollow 5 Plan level
- 12 Fern Hollow Challenge Plan level
- 13 Mossy Bridge 1 Plan level
- 14 Mossy Bridge 2 Plan level
- 15 Mossy Bridge 3 Plan level
- 16 Mossy Bridge 4 Plan level
- 17 Mossy Bridge 5 Plan level
- 18 Mossy Bridge Challenge Plan level
- 19 Starlight Grove 1 Plan level
- 20 Starlight Grove 2 Plan level
- 21 Starlight Grove 3 Plan level
- 22 Starlight Grove 4 Plan level
- 23 Starlight Grove 5 Plan level
- 24 Starlight Grove Challenge Plan level
Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.
Animal Trail
Animal names with a fun fact each, across, down and on slants.
1–2
24 levels · 10 free
Animal Trail
Animal names with a fun fact each, across, down and on slants. · 1–2
- 1 Sunny Path 1 ☆☆☆
- 2 Sunny Path 2 ☆☆☆
- 3 Sunny Path 3 ☆☆☆
- 4 Sunny Path 4 ☆☆☆
- 5 Sunny Path 5 ☆☆☆
- 6 Sunny Path Challenge ☆☆☆
- 7 Fern Hollow 1 ☆☆☆
- 8 Fern Hollow 2 ☆☆☆
- 9 Fern Hollow 3 ☆☆☆
- 10 Fern Hollow 4 ☆☆☆
- 11 Fern Hollow 5 Plan level
- 12 Fern Hollow Challenge Plan level
- 13 Mossy Bridge 1 Plan level
- 14 Mossy Bridge 2 Plan level
- 15 Mossy Bridge 3 Plan level
- 16 Mossy Bridge 4 Plan level
- 17 Mossy Bridge 5 Plan level
- 18 Mossy Bridge Challenge Plan level
- 19 Starlight Grove 1 Plan level
- 20 Starlight Grove 2 Plan level
- 21 Starlight Grove 3 Plan level
- 22 Starlight Grove 4 Plan level
- 23 Starlight Grove 5 Plan level
- 24 Starlight Grove Challenge Plan level
Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.
Body and Weather Trail
Words for the human body and the weather, including backwards words.
2–4
24 levels · 10 free
Body and Weather Trail
Words for the human body and the weather, including backwards words. · 2–4
- 1 Sunny Path 1 ☆☆☆
- 2 Sunny Path 2 ☆☆☆
- 3 Sunny Path 3 ☆☆☆
- 4 Sunny Path 4 ☆☆☆
- 5 Sunny Path 5 ☆☆☆
- 6 Sunny Path Challenge ☆☆☆
- 7 Fern Hollow 1 ☆☆☆
- 8 Fern Hollow 2 ☆☆☆
- 9 Fern Hollow 3 ☆☆☆
- 10 Fern Hollow 4 ☆☆☆
- 11 Fern Hollow 5 Plan level
- 12 Fern Hollow Challenge Plan level
- 13 Mossy Bridge 1 Plan level
- 14 Mossy Bridge 2 Plan level
- 15 Mossy Bridge 3 Plan level
- 16 Mossy Bridge 4 Plan level
- 17 Mossy Bridge 5 Plan level
- 18 Mossy Bridge Challenge Plan level
- 19 Starlight Grove 1 Plan level
- 20 Starlight Grove 2 Plan level
- 21 Starlight Grove 3 Plan level
- 22 Starlight Grove 4 Plan level
- 23 Starlight Grove 5 Plan level
- 24 Starlight Grove Challenge Plan level
Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.
Space Trail
Planets and space words hidden in all eight directions on big grids.
3–5
24 levels · 10 free
Space Trail
Planets and space words hidden in all eight directions on big grids. · 3–5
- 1 Sunny Path 1 ☆☆☆
- 2 Sunny Path 2 ☆☆☆
- 3 Sunny Path 3 ☆☆☆
- 4 Sunny Path 4 ☆☆☆
- 5 Sunny Path 5 ☆☆☆
- 6 Sunny Path Challenge ☆☆☆
- 7 Fern Hollow 1 ☆☆☆
- 8 Fern Hollow 2 ☆☆☆
- 9 Fern Hollow 3 ☆☆☆
- 10 Fern Hollow 4 ☆☆☆
- 11 Fern Hollow 5 Plan level
- 12 Fern Hollow Challenge Plan level
- 13 Mossy Bridge 1 Plan level
- 14 Mossy Bridge 2 Plan level
- 15 Mossy Bridge 3 Plan level
- 16 Mossy Bridge 4 Plan level
- 17 Mossy Bridge 5 Plan level
- 18 Mossy Bridge Challenge Plan level
- 19 Starlight Grove 1 Plan level
- 20 Starlight Grove 2 Plan level
- 21 Starlight Grove 3 Plan level
- 22 Starlight Grove 4 Plan level
- 23 Starlight Grove 5 Plan level
- 24 Starlight Grove Challenge Plan level
Levels after 10 are part of a PlayOwl plan. Free levels, saving and basic reports stay free.
Off screen
Print & play
Paper activities that go with this game.
Homophones comic strip: 4 panels
English · Grade 3 · Worksheet · 1 page
Pip's grumpy morning: warm-up
English · Grade 3 · Reading · 2 pages
Prefixes that change meaning word search: 12 words
English · Grade 3 · Puzzle · 1 page
Prefixes that change meaning comic strip: 6 panels
English · Grade 4 · Worksheet · 1 page
Suffixes that change words word search
English · Grade 4 · Puzzle · 1 page
Greek and Latin roots crossword
English · Grade 5 · Puzzle · 1 page
Suffixes that change words: words and meanings
English · Grade 5 · Worksheet · 1 page
Keep exploring
Part of these collections
Guide for grown-ups
- What are sight words, and how do you teach them so they stick?A guide for parents and teachers · 7 min read
Reading games by grade
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