Discovery Education Puzzlemaker is a free puzzle generator for teachers, students, and parents that creates printable word searches, criss-cross puzzles, math squares, cryptograms, mazes, and more from your own word lists. Printoodle covers word searches too, but goes beyond puzzles with AI-generated coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversion, color-by-number mystery pictures, bingo, flashcards, and themed worksheets, with a free tier of 10 credits and credit packs from $5. If you need classic classroom puzzles from your vocabulary lists at zero cost, Puzzlemaker wins; if you want a broader print-activity library with personalized, print-ready PDFs, Printoodle is the stronger fit.
Bottom line: These tools overlap only on word searches: Puzzlemaker is a free, puzzle-only generator built around your own word lists, while Printoodle is a broader print-activity generator that adds coloring pages, photo-based activities, and party printables. The right choice depends on whether you want free vocabulary puzzles or a wider activity library.
TL;DR
- Discovery Education Puzzlemaker is free and generates ten puzzle types — word search, criss-cross, double puzzles, fallen phrase, math squares, maze, letter tiles, cryptogram, number blocks, and hidden message — from your own word lists.
- Printoodle generates word searches plus coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversion, pixel color-by-number, crosswords, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, classroom worksheets, and themed party packs.
- Printoodle's free tier gives 10 credits on email verification; credit packs start at $5, and reprints from your library are always free.
- Puzzlemaker puzzles are print-and-go with no design customization; Printoodle outputs print-ready PDFs with a Letter default and A4 toggle.
- TeachHUB documents Puzzlemaker classroom uses from kindergarten letter identification through high school number blocks, including a word filter that prevents random creation of offensive words.
- Printoodle supports personalization — a child's name in birthday kits, pet-photo coloring pages, and quizzes from your own lesson material — which Puzzlemaker's fixed puzzle templates do not.
- Both suit teachers; Puzzlemaker is the zero-cost vocabulary-puzzle tool, Printoodle the broader activity library.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Printoodle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tier: 10 credits on email verification; credit packs from $5; reprints free forever | Freewinner |
| Activity variety | Word searches, crosswords, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page, pixel color-by-number, worksheets, party packswinner | 10 puzzle types: word search, criss-cross, double puzzles, fallen phrase, math squares, maze, letter tiles, cryptogram, number blocks, hidden message |
| Ease of use | Upload a photo, document, or short brief, spend credits, download a print-ready PDF in seconds | Enter a word list, follow the steps, click 'Create My Puzzle' |
| Personalization | Child's name in birthday kits, pet/family photos turned into coloring pages, quizzes from your own lesson materialwinner | Your own word lists only — no images, names-based artwork, or photo input |
| Classroom fit | Worksheets, word searches, and quizzes generated from your own lesson material | Grade-by-grade uses documented from kindergarten letter identification to high school number blocks; math squares and number blocks for math classwinner |
| Output & printing | Print-ready PDF, Letter default with A4 toggle; saved library with free reprints foreverwinner | Printable puzzles generated on demand; no saved library or reprint system |
| Safety features | Safe-for-kids defaults, no trademarked characters, no NSFW content | Word filter prevents random creation of offensive words in puzzles |
Scores
Printoodle
printoodle.com ↗Printoodle is a consumer web app where anyone — including teachers — can generate personalized, print-ready activity pages in seconds. Its generator covers themed coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversion that turns a pet or family photo into line art, pixel color-by-number mystery pictures, word searches, crosswords, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, classroom worksheets, and themed party packs. Teachers can upload a photo, a document, or a short brief — for example their own lesson material — spend credits, and download a print-ready PDF with a Letter default and an A4 toggle. Everything a user makes is saved in a library where reprints are always free, which matters for teachers reprinting a class set year after year. The product is built as a family tool with safe-for-kids defaults, no trademarked characters, and no NSFW content. Beyond the classroom, it serves parents of kids aged 3-12, party hosts making bridal and baby shower bingo and trivia, grown-up colorers who want mandalas and intricate pixel art, and gifters turning pet photos into coloring pages. Content pages target long-tail activity searches such as 'dinosaur word search printable' and each carries a free sample plus a call-to-action to the generator.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0/mo | 10 credits on email verification |
| Credit packs | $5/one_time | Pay-as-you-go credit packs starting at $5; reprints from your library always free |
Pros
- Broad activity library beyond puzzles: coloring pages, color-by-number, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, worksheets, and party packs
- Personalization — birthday kits with a child's name, pet-photo coloring pages, quizzes built from your own lesson material
- Free tier of 10 credits on email verification, with credit packs from $5
- Reprints from your library are always free, useful for reprinting class sets
- Print-ready PDF output with Letter default and A4 toggle
- Safe-for-kids defaults with no trademarked characters and no NSFW content
Cons
- Credit-based model means heavy users need to buy credit packs rather than use an entirely free tool
- No standards-aligned curriculum content or connection to a broader educational platform
- Puzzle output is generated from briefs and documents rather than a dedicated word-list puzzle engine with fine grid controls
Discovery Education Puzzlemaker
puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/ ↗Puzzlemaker is Discovery Education's puzzle generation tool for teachers, students, and parents. It creates and prints customized puzzles using your own word lists, with ten formats listed on its site: word search, criss-cross (crossword), double puzzles, fallen phrase, math squares, maze, letter tiles, cryptogram, number blocks, and hidden message puzzles. Creation is free — the tool's homepage invites users to 'Create Your Own Puzzle for Free.' TeachHUB's classroom guide documents grade-by-grade uses: kindergarten teachers enter the letter of the day for letter-identification hunts, first-grade teachers build sight-word searches at different grid sizes for differentiation, second-grade teachers use criss-cross puzzles for vocabulary review, and older students tackle cryptograms, double puzzles, fallen phrase puzzles, math squares, and number blocks. A word filter prevents the random creation of offensive words, a safety feature TeachHUB highlights for student-created hidden messages. Puzzlemaker sits within Discovery Education's wider free classroom resources hub alongside virtual field trips and interactive learning experiences, and Discovery Education users can also access it within Discovery Education Experience. It is a utilitarian, print-and-go generator: you enter a word list, follow the steps, and click 'Create My Puzzle.'
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzlemaker | $0/mo | Free puzzle generation for teachers, students, and parents |
Pros
- Completely free to use, per Discovery Education's own site
- Ten distinct puzzle formats spanning literacy, vocabulary, and math
- Documented classroom uses from kindergarten through high school
- Word filter keeps student-generated puzzles appropriate for all learners
- Customizable grid sizes support differentiated instruction
- Backed by Discovery Education's broader free classroom resources ecosystem
Cons
- Puzzle-only — no coloring pages, photo-based activities, bingo, flashcards, or party printables
- No design customization or personalization such as names, photos, or themed artwork
- Fixed template workflow: enter a word list and generate, with limited control over layout
- No saved library of past creations with free reprints
Pricing compared
Word search features head-to-head
Beyond word searches: where the toolsets diverge
Which should you pick?
FAQs
Is Discovery Education Puzzlemaker really free?
Yes. Puzzlemaker's own site invites teachers, students, and parents to 'Create Your Own Puzzle for Free,' and Discovery Education lists Puzzlemaker among its free classroom resources alongside virtual field trips and interactive learning experiences. Discovery Education platform users can also access it within Discovery Education Experience. There is no paid tier for the Puzzlemaker tool itself.
How much does Printoodle cost for teachers?
Printoodle gives new users 10 credits free after email verification. When you need more, credit packs start at $5. Credits are spent on generating activities, and everything you make is saved in your library where reprints are always free — so a worksheet or word search generated once can be reprinted for future classes at no additional cost.
Can both tools make word searches from my own word list?
Yes. Puzzlemaker's word search generator follows a step-by-step form where you enter your word list and click 'Create My Puzzle,' with customizable grid sizes for difficulty. Printoodle generates word searches from a document you upload or a short brief — including your own lesson material — and downloads a print-ready PDF with a Letter default and an A4 toggle.
Which tool has more puzzle types?
They tie at a high level but differ in kind. Puzzlemaker offers ten puzzle formats: word search, criss-cross, double puzzles, fallen phrase, math squares, maze, letter tiles, cryptogram, number blocks, and hidden message. Printoodle offers word searches and crosswords plus non-puzzle activities: coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversion, pixel color-by-number, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, worksheets, and party packs.
Which is better for elementary teachers?
Both, for different reasons. TeachHUB documents Puzzlemaker uses from kindergarten letter-identification searches and first-grade sight words through fifth-grade fallen phrase puzzles, with adjustable grid sizes for differentiation — all free. Printoodle suits elementary teachers who also want coloring pages, mazes, dot-to-dot sheets, and themed activity packets from the same tool, with safe-for-kids defaults and free reprints from the saved library.
Can I personalize activities with a child's name or photo?
Only with Printoodle. It supports birthday kits that include the child's name and photo-to-coloring-page conversion that turns a pet or family photo into line art. Puzzlemaker personalizes solely through the words you enter — for example, hiding student names in a word search as a getting-to-know-you activity — but offers no image input or name-based artwork.
Sources
- Online Puzzlemaker | Create Your Own Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker
- Create Your Own Word Search Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker
- Free Classroom Resources for Teachers | Discovery Education
- How to Use Discovery Education Puzzle Maker - TeachHUB
- Printoodle — Print-ready activity pages
- Free Word Search Maker – Make Your Own Word Search | Canva
- Free Word Search Generator | Super Teacher Worksheets
- Best Word Search Makers for Teachers in 2026
- Word Searches for Kids in Elementary School – 2026
- Terms of Use | Discovery Education