FREE PRINTABLE WORD BANKS · KS1 AND KS2

Free topic word banks for KS1 and KS2

Twelve printable word banks for the topics primary classes study most, from Minibeasts and the Great Fire of London in KS1 to the Romans, Vikings and Ancient Egypt in KS2. Each has topic words with child-friendly meanings, nouns, verbs and adjectives, story starters, curriculum links and an A4 word mat.

The word banks

KS1 · Science
Minibeasts word bank
Reception to Year 2 · 6 topic words with meanings
minibeast, habitat, shelter, antennae…
KS1 · History
Great Fire of London word bank
Years 1 and 2 · 6 topic words with meanings
bakery, diary, timber, flee…
KS1 and KS2 · Geography
Hot and cold places word bank
Years 1 to 4 · 6 topic words with meanings
Arctic, Antarctica, equator, iceberg…
KS1 and KS2 · Geography and Science
Oceans and the seaside word bank
Reception to Year 6 · 6 topic words with meanings
ocean, coral reef, current, tide…
KS1 and KS2 · Science and History
Space word bank
Reception to Year 6 · 7 topic words with meanings
orbit, planet, astronaut, gravity…
KS1 and KS2 · Science
Dinosaurs and fossils word bank
Reception to Year 6 · 6 topic words with meanings
fossil, extinct, palaeontologist, herbivore…
KS1 and KS2 · Geography and Science
Rainforests word bank
Years 2 to 6 · 7 topic words with meanings
canopy, understorey, habitat, humid…
KS2 · History
Stone Age word bank
Years 3 and 4 · 6 topic words with meanings
prehistoric, hunter-gatherer, flint, settlement…
KS2 · History
Romans word bank
Years 3 to 6 · 7 topic words with meanings
empire, legion, villa, mosaic…
KS2 · History
Ancient Egypt word bank
Years 3 to 6 · 6 topic words with meanings
pharaoh, pyramid, hieroglyphs, papyrus…
KS2 · Geography
Volcanoes and earthquakes word bank
Years 3 to 6 · 6 topic words with meanings
magma, lava, erupt, crust…
KS2 · History
Vikings word bank
Years 4 to 6 · 6 topic words with meanings
longship, saga, settler, trade…

What is in every word bank

A word bank is the list of words pupils need to talk and write about a topic, kept where they can see it. These banks start from the topic words in Litsee’s own curriculum data, each with a meaning written for children, and add the nouns, verbs and adjectives pupils reach for when they describe, explain and tell stories about the topic.

Every page prints as a one-page A4 word mat (two pages, one per key stage, for topics taught in both), so it can go on tables, in topic books or on the working wall. Each page also quotes the National Curriculum statement the topic serves, with its source, and gives two story starters that use the words, so the vocabulary goes straight into writing.

The pages are written for the National Curriculum in England and use UK year groups. They are free, need no account, and nothing you do on them is saved.

How this page was made

the topic words and their child-friendly meanings and the National Curriculum statements come from Litsee’s own curriculum data, written by the Litsee team. The extra nouns, verbs and adjectives, the story starters, the teaching notes and the FAQs were drafted with AI help for this page and checked by Litsee against the National Curriculum documents listed above. No teacher has reviewed this page yet, so we do not show a reviewer. Spotted something to improve? Email info@litsee.com.

Last updated: 30 October 2026.

Questions parents and teachers ask

Are the word banks free to print?

Yes. Every word bank is free to use and print, with no account or email needed. Use the print button on a topic page, or choose “Save as PDF” in the print window to keep a copy.

Which topics are covered?

Minibeasts, the Great Fire of London, hot and cold places, oceans and the seaside, space, dinosaurs and fossils, rainforests, the Stone Age, the Romans, Ancient Egypt, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the Vikings. They are the cross-curricular topics in Litsee’s curriculum data.

Do the word banks say which year group they are for?

Yes. Each topic shows the years it suits, from the National Curriculum statement it serves. Topics taught in both key stages, such as space and dinosaurs, have a separate KS1 and KS2 list of nouns, verbs and adjectives.

Where do the word meanings come from?

The topic words and their child-friendly meanings come from Litsee’s own curriculum data, written by the Litsee team. The rest of each page was written for litsee.com.

Turn the topic into a story

In Litsee, children create the hero, pick the world and choose what happens next in an illustrated story that is read aloud. In school, teachers set the subject and topic for a class story and read it together on the whiteboard.

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