Free word search maker and printables

Christmas Word Search

Christmas words, carols and winter holidays hidden in a grid, to print or play online.

This free Christmas word search maker builds a grid of hidden words that you can solve on screen or print on paper. It runs in your web browser, with no sign-up and no download, so a Christmas word search puzzle takes only a few clicks to start. Pick a topic such as Christmas, Christmas carols or Winter holidays, or type your own words. Then choose the grid size and difficulty. The tool places every word in the grid and fills the spare squares with random letters. It also checks that the random letters never spell a rude word by accident. You can use the same tool for a Christmas word search for kids, a harder puzzle for adults, or an xmas word search for a family gathering.
  1. Choose a topic. Pick Christmas for 51 words, Christmas (easy) for 33 short words, Christmas carols for carol titles such as Silent Night and Jingle Bells, or Winter holidays for 47 words such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. For your own list, choose My own words.
  2. Set the Grid size. The default is 15×15. Choose 8×8 or 10×10 for a quick puzzle, or 20×20 or 25×25 for a bigger one.
  3. Set the Number of words. The tool starts at a sensible number for the grid size. You can change it to any number from 4 to 60.
  4. Choose a Difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert. Read the hint line under the menu before you pick.
  5. Solve the puzzle by clicking or tapping the first letter and then the last letter of a word. With a mouse, you can also drag across the letters.
  6. If you get stuck, press Hint to flash the first letter of a word you have not found. Press Show answers to outline every word.
  7. Open the Print panel, choose the Copies, Paper size (Letter or A4) and Answer keys (Four per page or One per page), then click Print puzzles + answer keys.

Use Copy link to get an address that opens exactly the same puzzle again, which is useful for a class, a newsletter or a friend. Your game is saved in this browser, so reloading the page continues where you left off.

The tool picks the words at random from the topic you choose, as many as the Number of words setting asks for (18 on the default 15×15 grid), so every new puzzle mixes them differently. The full lists:

Christmas (51 words): Santa Claus, Reindeer, Sleigh, Snowman, Stocking, Ornament, Wreath, Mistletoe, Holly, Candy cane, Gingerbread, Present, Gift, Tinsel, Angel, Manger, Nativity, Bethlehem, Star, Carols, Elf, Workshop, North Pole, Chimney, Fireplace, Eggnog, Fruitcake, Poinsettia, Evergreen, Lights, Snowflake, Cookies, Ribbon, Bells, Christmas tree, Christmas Eve, Advent, Shepherd, Wise men, Joy, Peace, Noel, Festive, Cocoa, Jingle, Mittens, Scarf, Icicle, Wrapping paper, Holiday, Wonder.

Christmas (easy) (33 words): Santa, Elf, Snow, Tree, Star, Gift, Bell, Sleigh, Reindeer, Snowman, Holly, Candy, Cookies, Stocking, Angel, Lights, Wreath, Present, Toys, Bow, Ribbon, Carols, Cocoa, Winter, Cold, Chimney, Mittens, Joy, Ornament, Tinsel, Snowy, Merry, Jolly.

Christmas carols (33 words): Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, O Holy Night, Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, O Christmas Tree, Hark the Herald, The First Noel, We Three Kings, O Come Emmanuel, Coventry Carol, Wassail Song, Greensleeves, Ding Dong Merrily, God Rest Ye Merry, Holly and the Ivy, What Child Is This, I Saw Three Ships, Adeste Fideles, Up on the Housetop, Infant Holy, Lo How a Rose, Sussex Carol, Wexford Carol, Cherry Tree Carol, Huron Carol, Boar’s Head Carol, Still Still Still, O Tannenbaum, Gaudete, Bring a Torch, Past Three O’Clock.

In the example puzzle, MITTENS starts in row 7, column 4 and runs diagonally up to the right, and STOCKING starts in row 4, column 3 and runs from top to bottom. Every hidden word appears exactly once in the grid.

Is there an easy Christmas word search for kids?

Yes. Choose the topic Christmas (easy), which holds 33 short words, and set the Difficulty to Easy. Easy words run only left to right and top to bottom, and they never cross, so every word is easy to scan for.

An 8×8 or 10×10 grid works well for a first puzzle. On Easy the tool starts with fewer words: 10 on a 10×10 grid.

Can I make a hard Christmas word search for adults?

Yes. Choose Hard or Expert, then pick a 20×20 or 25×25 grid. Hard words can run in all eight directions, including backwards and upwards, and words may cross each other. Expert adds one more challenge: crossings are placed first, and the filler letters come from the hidden words’ own letters, so the grid looks uniform and no letter stands out.

Medium sits between these levels. Its words run left to right, top to bottom, and diagonally down-right and up-right, but never backwards.

Some solving techniques work well on any level. Find the longest words first, since they are easiest to spot. If a word has an unusual letter (Q, X, Z, J, K) or a double letter (OO, LL, SS), look for that first. Take the first letter of a word and check all 8 neighbouring squares for its second letter. On Hard and Expert, also read backwards and upwards. Cross each word off the list as you find it.

Can I print it with answers?

Yes. Click Print puzzles + answer keys in the Print panel. Each puzzle prints on its own page with its title, size and level, Name and Date lines, the grid, and a “Find these words:” list with a checkbox beside each word. The answer keys follow after the puzzles, with every word outlined in the grid.

Choose Four per page for the answer keys to save paper, or One per page to make each key easier to read. If you only need one of the two, use Print puzzles only or Print answer keys only.

Can I add our family’s names?

Yes. Choose My own words, then type each family name and any Christmas words you want, such as TREE or CAROLS. The puzzle then hides your list in the grid like any other topic.

For a secret greeting, type MERRY CHRISTMAS into Hidden message under More options. Its letters fill the first empty squares, so once every word is circled, the first leftover letters (read left to right, top to bottom) spell it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when I have finished the puzzle?

The status line shows “Found x of y” and a timer while you play. When every word is found, it says “Puzzle complete in mm:ss”, where mm:ss is your time.

Does a new grid keep my settings?

Yes. Click Next puzzle (or New puzzle) to get a new grid with the same topic, size, difficulty and number of words.

Can I play on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Tap the first letter of a word and then the last letter. The game works in the browser on touch screens as well as on a computer.

Is the list of my own words private?

Yes. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Your own words never leave the browser. In a copied link, they sit after the # sign, which browsers do not send to a server.

Which paper sizes can I print on?

Letter (8.5 × 11 in) or A4, chosen under Paper size in the Print panel. Each puzzle prints on its own page with Name and Date lines and the footer easywordsearch.com.

What happens if my topic has too few words for the grid?

The tool uses all the words that fit and tells you so. For example, a short topic on a large grid may give fewer words than your Number of words setting.