Winter Word Search
Make a printable winter word search in a few clicks. Start from one of our 8 word lists, from short words for kids to winter weather, animals, sports and harder words for adults, or type your own. None of the lists is about Christmas unless you pick Winter holidays, so the puzzles work all season, from December to March. Pick a level, from across and down only to all eight directions with backwards words, and a shape: a mitten, a snow globe, a snowman, a pine tree or a plain rectangle. Every page can have one of 5 borders we drew ourselves, in colour or in black and white to colour in, and the PDF comes with an answer key that highlights every word and gives its row and column. For a class, type the names and each child gets a different puzzle with the same words, their name already on the sheet. 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.
Class set: a different puzzle for each name
Pack: several lists in one PDF
Words
Puzzle
Page
Runs in your browser with our own code: your words and names never leave your device, and nothing is saved. Rectangle puzzles use the same engine as our Word Search Maker; every word is checked to appear exactly once. The borders and shapes are our own drawings. Print at 100% (Actual size).
How to make a winter word search
- Pick a word list, or choose Your own words and type them one per line.
- Choose the level and the shape. The kids list starts on Easy; harder words start on Hard.
- Pick a border and Colour or Black and white, then add a line under the title if you like.
- Switch to Answer key to check it, or press New puzzle for a different grid.
- Download the PDF (puzzle, then the answer key) and print at 100%. For a class, type the names and download the class set; for several lists, tick them and download the pack.
What you can use it for
- A snow-day or indoor-recess activity
- A morning work sheet for January in class, one different puzzle per child
- A harder puzzle for adults on a cold evening
- Activity packs for care homes, libraries and clubs
- A quiet table activity at a winter party or a ski trip
The 8 word lists
| List | Words | Longest word (letters) | Starts on | Starts with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter for kids | 12 | 7 | Easy | Snow, Ice, Cold, Hat |
| Winter words | 20 | 9 | Medium | Winter, Snowflake, Blizzard, Icicle |
| Winter weather | 20 | 11 | Medium | Blizzard, Sleet, Hail, Flurries |
| Cozy clothes and food | 20 | 9 | Medium | Coat, Parka, Scarf, Mittens |
| Winter activities and sports | 20 | 13 | Medium | Skiing, Snowboard, Ice skating, Sledding |
| Winter animals | 20 | 11 | Medium | Penguin, Polar bear, Arctic fox, Snowy owl |
| Harder words for adults | 24 | 13 | Hard | Hibernation, Solstice, Permafrost, Snowdrift |
| Winter holidays | 20 | 12 | Medium | Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year |
156 words in all, chosen by us. Winter words is the list the tool opens with. Any list can be edited before you print, and any list works at any level.
Shapes
| Shape | Grid for the Winter words list | Squares with letters | Words placed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | 17 × 17 | 289 | 20 |
| Mitten | 16 × 16 | 153 | 20 |
| Snow globe | 16 × 16 | 158 | 20 |
| Snowman | 20 × 20 | 182 | 20 |
| Pine tree | 21 × 21 | 181 | 20 |
Worked out by the tool for the 20-word Winter words 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: Snowflakes, Mittens, Pine trees, Icicles and snow and 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.
Class sets and packs
A class set uses the words you have on screen and makes a different grid for each name, up to 40 names, with the name printed on the Name line. A pack makes one puzzle from each list you tick, each at its own level unless you choose otherwise. Both put the answer keys at the back, so you can print the puzzles on their own.
More winter puzzles and 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.
- Cut-and-fold snowflakes: Paper Snowflake Template.
- A snowman to cut out and dress: Snowman Template.
- A certificate for the puzzle champion: Certificate Maker.
More free winter printables
Planning a snow-day activity?
Puzzles, templates and cards that run in your browser: free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
Is this winter 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. Packs and class sets put all the answer keys at the back.
Are there Christmas words in it?
Only if you choose the Winter holidays list. The other lists are about snow, weather, clothes, food, sports and animals, so the puzzles suit January and February too.
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. Winter for kids has short words and starts on Easy. Harder words for adults has long words like Precipitation 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 Hot cocoa are fine: the space is left out in the grid.
Can the puzzle be shaped like a mitten or a snowman?
Yes. The tool opens on the mitten; choose Snow globe, Snowman, Pine tree or Rectangle 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.
How does the class set work?
Type the children’s names, one per line, and press Class set PDF. Each child gets the same words in a different grid, with their name printed on the sheet, so neighbours cannot copy. The answer keys follow, one per name.
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 and names uploaded?
No. The puzzle and the PDF are made in your browser and nothing is saved.