EYFS New Year Wordsearch

Support early reading, phonics and vocabulary development with this EYFS New Year Themed Wordsearch, a carefully designed literacy activity that is both accessible and engaging for young learners. This EYFS wordsearch resource has been created specifically for children in Reception and Early Years who are developing early decoding skills. All words included are phonetically decodable using Phase 2 phonics, making it ideal for phonics lessons, guided reading sessions and independent literacy practice. The wordsearch is presented in a small, child-friendly grid with only a few rows and columns, reducing cognitive load and supporting success for younger learners. Words appear horizontally and vertically only, and always in a forward direction, ensuring the activity remains achievable and confidence-building. To extend learning beyond word recognition, children are encouraged to choose a word they have found and write it three times, supporting spelling practice, fine motor skills and early sentence transcription behaviours. This New Year literacy activity for EYFS is perfect for: Phonics and early reading lessons Morning work or early finisher tasks Independent or paired learning Home learning packs Intervention and consolidation sessions Key Learning Benefits Reinforces phonics and early decoding skills Develops reading confidence and word recognition Supports spelling and mark-making Builds New Year themed vocabulary Encourages careful scanning and visual tracking Aligned with the EYFS Framework, this resource offers purposeful, low-prep literacy practice with a seasonal theme. An answer sheet is included for adult support or self-checking. Ideal for EYFS classrooms, Reception settings and home educators, this New Year Wordsearch is a simple but effective way to embed early literacy skills in a fun and meaningful context.