Christmas Word Search

Make a printable Christmas word search in a few clicks. Start from one of our 6 word lists, from Christmas for kids to harder words for adults, the Nativity story, baking and decorations, or type your own words. Pick a level, from across and down only to all eight directions with backwards words, and a shape: a rectangle, a Christmas tree, a star, a bauble or a bell. Every page has one of 5 borders we drew ourselves, in colour or in black and white to colour in. Each PDF comes with an answer key that highlights every word and gives its row and column, and the pack puts several lists in one PDF with the keys at the back. US Letter or A4, plus a PNG. Free, with no sign-up, no email and no watermark.

Nothing to upload. Puzzles are made in your browser.

How to make a Christmas word search

1. Pick a word list, or choose Your own words and type them one per line.
2. Choose the level and the shape. Kids lists start on Easy; harder words start on Hard.
3. Pick a border and Colour or Black and white, then add a line under the title if you like.
4. Switch to Answer key to check it, or press New puzzle for a different grid.
5. Download the PDF (puzzle, then the answer key) and print at 100%. For a set of different puzzles, tick the lists you want and download the pack.

What you can use it for

• A quiet activity for a class Christmas party
• Placemats for children at Christmas dinner
• A harder puzzle for adults over the holidays
• A Sunday school sheet on the Nativity story
• Christmas newsletters, care home activity packs and gift bags

The 6 word lists

List	Words	Longest word (letters)	Starts with
Christmas for kids	12	6	Star, Tree, Gift, Bell
Classic Christmas	20	11	Christmas, Reindeer, Sleigh, Stocking
Harder words for adults	24	12	Poinsettia, Nutcracker, Frankincense, Advent
The Nativity story	20	12	Bethlehem, Nazareth, Mary, Joseph
Christmas baking and food	20	11	Cookies, Gingerbread, Candy cane, Fruitcake
Decorations	20	10	Ornament, Bauble, Tinsel, Garland

116 words in all, chosen by us. Christmas for kids starts on Easy and Harder words for adults on Hard; the rest start on Medium. Any list can be edited before you print.

Shapes

Shape	Grid for the Classic list	Squares with letters	Words placed
Rectangle	18 × 18	324	20
Christmas tree	22 × 22	204	20
Star	22 × 22	198	20
Bauble	18 × 18	202	20
Bell	18 × 18	198	20

Worked out by the tool for the 20-word Classic list on Medium. Shapes use fewer squares than a rectangle of the same size, so the grid grows until every word fits; a list of very long words fits best in the rectangle.

Borders and colour

Borders: Holly, Candy cane stripes, String of lights, Snowflakes, Plain frame, or none. All are our own drawings, made of simple shapes so they print cleanly. Black and white prints them as outlines to colour in, with light grey highlights on the answer key.

Letters print in Helvetica, the PDF’s built-in typeface, sized to the squares. Large print makes the letters bigger where the page has room.

Levels and directions

Level	Directions words can run
Easy	Left to right and top to bottom
Medium	Adds diagonals, down-right and up-right
Hard	All 8 directions, including backwards and upwards

The tool spreads the words across the directions the level allows, so a Hard puzzle really has backwards words in it.

More puzzles and Christmas printables

For any other topic, with up to 30 versions of one puzzle and an online play mode, use the Word Search Maker. Turn the same words into a crossword or bingo cards.

• Wish lists for the fridge: Christmas List Template.
• A letter on Christmas morning: Letter from Santa.
• A border for your own pages: Christmas Border.
• Cards to make and print: Christmas Card Template.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Christmas word search free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no email and no watermark, and you can make as many puzzles as you like.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. The PDF has the puzzle first and the answer key after it, with every word highlighted and its row, column and direction listed. The pack puts all the answer keys at the back, so you can print the puzzles on their own.

Which level should I choose?

Easy hides words across and down only, which suits young children. Medium adds diagonals. Hard uses all eight directions, so words can run backwards and upwards too.

Is there a version for kids and one for adults?

Yes. Christmas for kids has short words and starts on Easy. Harder words for adults has long words like Frankincense and starts on Hard. Any list works at any level.

Can I use my own words?

Yes. Choose Your own words and type or paste them, one per line. Phrases like Candy cane are fine: the space is left out in the grid.

Can the puzzle be shaped like a Christmas tree?

Yes. Choose Christmas tree, Star, Bauble or Bell under Shape. Letters only fill the shape, with its outline drawn round it. If a long word cannot fit inside a shape, the tool says which one, so nothing is dropped quietly.

Will every word really be in the grid?

Yes. After the empty squares are filled with random letters, every word is checked to appear exactly once, and the filler is changed where it made a second copy. The answer key is drawn from the same grid.

Can children colour the border?

Yes. Choose Black and white, to colour in: the borders print as black outlines on white.

How do I make the same puzzle again?

Note the puzzle code under the preview (it is also on the answer key). Type it back into Puzzle code with the same words and settings to get the same grid.

Can I use the puzzles in class or sell them?

Yes. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.

Are my words uploaded?

No. The puzzle and the PDF are made in your browser and nothing is saved.