How to play the Christmas word search
Each puzzle hides a handful of Christmas words from the list beside the grid. When you spot one, drag across it, or tap its first and last letter: it is marked in colour and crossed off the list. The clock starts with your first try and stops when the last word is found. New puzzle deals a fresh grid with a different mix of words.
Printing it
- Print puts the puzzle on screen onto one page.
- Print with answers opens the same puzzle on the printable word search page, which adds the answer key on a separate page. There you can also print 3 or 5 different Christmas puzzles at once, so everyone gets their own, or switch on large print.
- To keep a PDF for a class handout, choose Save as PDF as the printer.
Which level?
- Easy: 8 words in a 10 × 10 grid, across and down only. For young children, perhaps with a grown-up reading the list aloud.
- Medium: 12 words in a 12 × 12 grid, with diagonals. For older children.
- Hard: 16 words in a 15 × 15 grid, running in every direction, backwards included. For teenagers and adults.
The Christmas words
Puzzles draw on about thirty-five words: Santa with his sleigh, reindeer, elf and workshop; decorations from the tree, star, angel, lights, tinsel and ornament to the wreath, holly, mistletoe and poinsettia; the stocking hung by the chimney and fireplace; treats such as gingerbread, cookies and eggnog; and winter things like the snowman, snowflake and mittens. The words keep to familiar traditions and suit a classroom.
Ideas for the holidays
- The last days before winter break: print a set on Medium, a different puzzle for each table, and keep the answer keys for yourself.
- A race at a party: share one puzzle with Copy link and see who finds every word first.
- A family puzzle: put in the names of everyone coming for Christmas, pets included, with the word search maker.
- For grandparents: large print on the printable page makes the letters and the word list bigger.
More holiday puzzles: the Thanksgiving word search and the Halloween word search. For every other theme, from animals to space, go to the word search. Something different for the holidays? Try the memory game.