The boy who never grew up
J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan has enchanted readers for over a century, and this word search gathers its magic. You'll be finding PETER himself, the DARLING children led by WENDY, the jealous fairy TINKER BELL, and the dog-nurse NANA, all whisked off to NEVERLAND.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the adventure changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode flight once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
Pirates, fairies and pixie dust
Neverland is full of wonders and dangers, and they're here. To fly you need FAIRY or PIXIE DUST and a happy thought; Peter even chases his own SHADOW. There's the villainous Captain HOOK and his bumbling mate SMEE, the ticking CROCODILE that follows him, the LOST BOYS, a MERMAID lagoon, the princess TIGER LILY, and the SWORD fights aboard a PIRATE ship — all far from home in LONDON, up among the STARS, with a THIMBLE for a kiss.
From the stage to a children's hospital
Peter Pan started life on stage in 1904, and only later became the novel we read today. J.M. Barrie wrote it for the real-life Llewelyn Davies boys, whom he had befriended in a London park — and that's where the name of the DARLING children's adventures really comes from. The famous moment where the audience is asked to clap to save TINKER BELL was Barrie's invention, and it still works on stage to this day.
Barrie did something extraordinary with the story. In 1929 he gave away the entire copyright to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital in LONDON, so that every performance, book and film of Peter Pan would help sick children — a gift that still earns money for the hospital nearly a century on. The book also handed the language a new word: a grown-up who refuses to act their age is said to have 'Peter Pan syndrome', which makes the boy who never grows up a great springboard for talking about growing up at all.
Great for a reading or storytime topic
It pairs well with a class novel or a magical storytime session — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words for younger readers. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own Neverland favourites.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Peter Pan word search?
The world of Neverland — Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook, plus the Lost Boys, mermaids, the crocodile and pixie dust. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which characters are in it?
The world of NEVERLAND — PETER, WENDY, TINKER BELL and Captain HOOK, plus the LOST BOYS, a MERMAID, the ticking CROCODILE and pixie DUST.
Is it good for a reading topic?
Great fit — pair it with a class novel or storytime. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.