December vocabulary in French, from a three-letter SAC upwards

Six French Christmas words are hidden in this grid: ARBRE for the tree, ANGE for an angel, LUTIN for an elf, SAC for the sack, CHEMINÉE for the chimney, and COURONNE for a wreath. A picture accompanies each, so a child matches image to French word first, then goes hunting for that word in the letters. The set is small and seasonal, so it can be learnt in a single sitting.

The lengths are lopsided, and that shapes the hunt. SAC is three letters and ANGE four, while CHEMINÉE and COURONNE both run to eight and both start with a C — so children tend to find the two long ones early and then spend real time on the short ones. COURONNE also has a double n, easy to miscount when circling. ARBRE is the useful one to learn properly, since it names the thing in the corner of the room.

This is a December sheet. Print it in the run-up to Christmas, when there is a tree in the room to point at and a child will use ARBRE more than once. It works as a quiet table job while other people are wrapping things. Say all six aloud before starting: LUTIN and CHEMINÉE reward being heard before they are hunted. It can be printed again the following December.