Free Christmas Word Search Printable: 4 Puzzles

Dinner needs another twenty minutes, the children want something to do, and you're not ready to run a loud team game. Choose one of these four free Christmas word searches and print a puzzle plus its answer key. Each theme has 14 words, with Easy and Hard settings. Set out pencils, leave the key with the host, and let guests work alone or in pairs while you finish the food.

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Christmas word search

Here are the word lists. Enable JavaScript to generate and print a puzzle and answer key.

Classic Christmas

• CHRISTMAS
• REINDEER
• STOCKING
• WREATH
• HOLLY
• BELLS
• CANDLE
• PRESENT
• RIBBON
• CAROLS
• SLEIGH
• TINSEL
• ORNAMENT
• EVERGREEN

Christmas kitchen & cookies

• COOKIE
• GINGERBREAD
• CINNAMON
• NUTMEG
• ICING
• DOUGH
• APRON
• WHISK
• SPATULA
• VANILLA
• COCOA
• SUGAR
• BUTTER
• SPRINKLES

Winter fun

• SNOWMAN
• MITTENS
• SLEDDING
• SKATING
• SNOWBALL
• SCARF
• FROST
• ICICLE
• BOOTS
• SNOWFLAKE
• SNOWFORT
• SKIING
• COAT
• HAT

The Christmas story

• MARY
• JOSEPH
• JESUS
• BETHLEHEM
• MANGER
• ANGEL
• SHEPHERDS
• STAR
• WISEMEN
• GIFTS
• GOLD
• MYRRH
• FRANKINCENSE
• CHILD

Build the rest of the party with a 27-game Christmas printable bundle.

See the printable game

Pick a theme before you pick a challenge

Classic Christmas gathers decorations and familiar festive words. Christmas kitchen & cookies suits the table where everyone's waiting for the next tray. Winter fun stays with outdoor activities and cold-weather clothes. The Christmas story gives a church group or family a separate Nativity-themed choice.

Read through the word list with younger players before handing out the pencils. Knowing what FRANKINCENSE looks like on the list is a different job from finding it in a grid. Give help with unfamiliar words first, then let the search be the activity.

The placed words use capital letters without spaces. WISEMEN appears as one run of letters in the Christmas story puzzle. Explain that before someone spends the whole round hunting for a blank square.

Print the grid and its own answer key

Select the theme and difficulty, generate a puzzle, then preview the printed page. Match your home printer's paper setting to US Letter or A4 and check that the grid and word list both fit. Print one test sheet so you can judge the letter size at the table.

Print the answer key before generating anything new. A fresh puzzle moves the words, so yesterday's key won't solve today's grid. Keep each key behind its matching puzzle, or save both as PDFs using your print dialog. You can put the theme and difficulty on the folder if you're preparing several tables.

Plain paper and pencils are enough. Print only the copies you need for this round, and keep drinks away from the stack. A cocoa ring is a surprisingly effective way to hide three letters.

Make it a quiet table, not a speed test

Let guests start when they arrive. Pair a confident reader with someone who wants help, and allow a break without losing a score. If you do want a timed challenge, announce the finish time and count found words rather than requiring a completed sheet.

On screen, select the first and last letter of a word to mark it. On paper, circle the letters and cross the word off the list. When someone finishes early, offer another theme or ask them to help a willing partner. Keep the answer sheet off the table until everyone is ready to check.

Want the printable version?

Planning more than a quiet puzzle table? The Christmas Games Bundle gives you 27 prepared party games, answer keys for objective games, and four PDF formats covering US Letter, A4, full-page and paper-saving layouts. Choose it when you want a wider party plan ready to print.