November is National Native American Heritage Month! It’s a wonderful time to learn about the history, traditions and many cultures of the first peoples of North America.
Check out our two free printable Native American Heritage Month word scrambles. One has 12 words that are perfect for younger kids, and one has 15 words for older kids who love a challenge. So these can be great to keep the kids busy at home, a fun learning activity in the classroom, or a station and activity at a holiday Fall festival class party at school.
Both puzzles are filled with words about traditional homes, foods, crafts and famous Native Americans, plus each one comes with an answer key.
What is Native American Heritage Month?
Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November in the United States. It honors the history, cultures and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
There are 574 federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native nations in the United States today. Did you know that each nation has its own language, traditions and history. That’s why our word scrambles include homes and traditions from many different nations.
Famous Native Americans in Our Word Scramble
Squanto (Tisquantum) was a member of the Patuxet people. He spoke English and helped the Pilgrims at Plymouth survive by teaching them how to plant corn and where to fish.
Sacagawea was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition across the West from 1804 to 1806. You can see her on the U.S. golden dollar coin!
Free Printable Native American Heritage Month Word Scrambles
We made two versions of this word scramble, so every child can join in. Both print on one standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, and the answer key is on page two.
12-word version: Short, familiar words like corn, drum and canoe, in a larger font. It’s perfect for younger kids, roughly kindergarten through 2nd grade.
15-word version: Longer words and two famous Native Americans for older kids, roughly 3rd grade and up.
Teachers, both versions have the same title at the top, so you can hand out whichever one fits best for your students.
Learn the Words in Our Word Scramble
Before your kids start unscrambling, here’s a quick guide to some of the words they’ll find:
| Word | What it is |
| Longhouse | A long wooden home shared by several families, built by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and other nations of the Northeast |
| Wigwam | A dome-shaped home of bent saplings covered in bark or mats, built by many nations of the Northeast and Great Lakes |
| Pueblo | Multi-story adobe homes built by the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest, like the Hopi and Zuni |
| Canoe | A lightweight boat, often made of birch bark or a carved log |
| Kayak | A narrow boat invented by Arctic peoples like the Inuit and Yupik |
| Moccasins | Soft leather shoes, often decorated with beadwork |
| Powwow | A gathering with singing, drumming, dancing and friends |
| Corn, Beans and Squash | The “Three Sisters,” crops many nations grew together because they help each other grow |
Native American Heritage Month Word Scramble Answer Keys
Spoiler alert! Here are the answers to both word scrambles. No peeking until you’ve given it your best try!
12-word version:
- Corn
- Beans
- Squash
- Drum
- Dance
- Canoe
- Kayak
- Beads
- Story
- Nature
- Harvest
- Family
15-word version:
- Indigenous
- Longhouse
- Wigwam
- Pueblo
- Canoe
- Kayak
- Moccasins
- Beadwork
- Powwow
- Drum
- Squanto
- Sacagawea
- Corn
- Beans
- Squash
More about Native American Heritage Month?
The idea to celebrate Native American Heritage month started more than 100 years ago. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca historian, encouraged the Boy Scouts to celebrate a “First Americans Day” in the early 1900s. In 1914, Red Fox James of the Blackfeet traveled about 4,000 miles to ask the President for a national day to honor Native Americans.
It took many years, but in 1990, Congress and President George H.W. Bush made November the first National American Indian Heritage Month. Today it’s recognized every year.
National Geographic Education has a wonderful collection of stories about Native American communities, past and present, for kids in 3rd grade and up.
Want to learn more? The U.S. Senate shares the history of the month, and History.com tells the story of the people who first fought for it.
Free Printable Native American Heritage Month Word Scrambles
We made two versions of this word scramble, so every child can join in. Both print on one standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, and the answer key is on page two.
12-word version: Short, familiar words like corn, drum and canoe, in a larger font. It’s perfect for younger kids, roughly kindergarten through 2nd grade.
15-word version: Longer words and two famous Native Americans for older kids, roughly 3rd grade and up.
Use this file so you can print all of our designs for our Free Printable Native American Heritage Month Word Scrambles.
Enjoy, and happy Native American Heritage Month!
More Free Printable Word Scrambles
Looking for more November and holiday fun? Try our other free printable word scrambles:
- Thanksgiving Word Scramble
- Veterans Day Word Scramble
- Christmas Word Scramble
- Hanukkah Word Scramble
- Kwanzaa Word Scramble
- Winter Word Scramble
- Diwali Word Scramble
- Halloween Word Scramble
