A merry little puzzle
Eight festive words with no backwards or diagonal paths. A small printable for readers who prefer a quick Christmas puzzle.
Across and down, forwards only.
Preview the answer key
Christmas Word Search
Four festive word searches for readers who want a quick puzzle or a longer winter challenge. Print the activity and keep its matching answer page.
Download the A merry little puzzle PDFEasy, medium, hard and large print Christmas puzzles
Try eight merry words, twelve Christmas traditions, sixteen winter-evening words, or ten festive words in large print. There is no timer, so each solver can work at a comfortable pace.
Christmas traditions
Twelve words about decorations, treats and winter traditions. Forward diagonals and longer names offer a steadier challenge.
Across, down and diagonally, forwards only.
Preview the answer key
A winter evening
Sixteen winter and festive words run in all eight directions. A longer, untimed search for older readers and adults.
All eight directions, including backwards.
Preview the answer key
Christmas cheer, large print
Ten festive words in a roomy forward-only grid. Bigger letters and a short list make a gentle Christmas table activity.
Across and down, forwards only.
Preview the answer key
From a quick festive search to a winter challenge
A merry little puzzle has eight words and straight forward paths. Christmas traditions introduces twelve longer words and forward diagonals. A winter evening has sixteen words that can run in all eight directions. Christmas cheer is the large print choice, with ten words and 19-point letters. Preview the word lists before choosing: the right level depends on familiarity with the vocabulary as well as grid size.
Leave a small stack beside a family game, or use the pages as an optional classroom reading break. A short word search can be completed independently; two people can also share a sheet and take turns spotting the next word.
Keep the Christmas answer sheets out of the stack
Select Letter or A4, save the PDF and print the first page in portrait orientation. For Christmas cheer, use actual size so the grid letters retain their designed size. A grayscale setting is enough for the letters and solution shading. If a printer trims an edge, inspect its preview before choosing Fit.
The solution repeats the puzzle exactly and shades each word path. Keep one copy with the adult or group leader, rather than handing it out with the activity. When a guest is stuck, point to a first letter before revealing the entire word. Copies for your own class or family are welcome; link here when sharing with another household.
Christmas printing questions
Which Christmas puzzle avoids backwards words?
A merry little puzzle and Christmas cheer use only forward words across and down. Christmas traditions adds forward diagonals; A winter evening allows backwards paths as well.
Do you have a large print Christmas edition?
Christmas cheer uses a 12 × 12 grid, 19-point letters and a 16-point word list. Print the Letter or A4 edition at 100% to retain those measurements.
Can I prepare these before the Christmas break?
Yes. Download the files now and print whenever you need them. The pages have no year-specific date, account requirement or expiry. The answer key is the second page of each PDF.
Are Christmas classroom copies free?
Printing for your own classroom, tutoring group or family costs nothing. Please keep the JotOak attribution and share the collection link rather than uploading or selling the files elsewhere.