Christmas Word Search
Two Christmas word searches, one letter page each: an easy puzzle for kindergarten through second grade (words run right, down and diagonally only) and a harder one for grades 3-5 (all eight directions, backwards included). The lists stick to classroom-safe December vocabulary — santa, stocking, reindeer, gingerbread — so the hunt doubles as vocabulary work for the last stretch before winter break.
Easy Christmas Word Search
Kindergarten – Grade 2 · words run right, down, and diagonally
| W | D | E | E | R | E | T | G | D | R | R | T |
| T | R | E | E | T | S | S | G | I | Y | O | S |
| S | T | O | C | K | I | N | G | B | E | W | O |
| W | R | F | C | S | K | T | F | R | E | N | G |
| E | T | G | E | E | A | E | T | R | E | L | O |
| E | S | A | T | E | W | N | N | O | K | E | L |
| G | I | T | W | R | E | A | T | H | L | N | I |
| I | E | S | A | F | K | E | S | A | S | H | T |
| F | D | T | O | R | F | L | S | I | S | L | T |
| T | L | I | E | E | N | T | T | N | N | A | D |
| C | A | N | D | L | E | O | O | T | O | E | S |
| I | E | N | T | E | F | D | Y | Y | B | W | E |
Words to find
- bell
- candle
- deer
- elf
- gift
- santa
- snow
- star
- stocking
- toy
- tree
- wreath
12 words
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Hard Christmas Word Search
Grades 3–5 · words run in all eight directions, backwards too
| N | E | R | L | S | S | S | H | C | C | S | N | R |
| S | C | A | E | F | N | E | E | H | E | A | O | E |
| M | S | H | M | E | L | O | I | N | O | A | G | N |
| I | T | G | O | N | L | M | W | F | C | G | E | E |
| S | T | I | K | E | N | N | M | F | N | O | A | E |
| T | G | E | G | E | O | R | O | F | L | A | E | L |
| L | E | L | Y | N | G | A | L | O | R | A | C | A |
| E | E | S | O | A | J | I | N | G | L | E | K | O |
| T | D | D | N | E | I | L | E | S | N | I | T | E |
| O | D | A | E | R | B | R | E | G | N | I | G | E |
| E | N | I | S | E | C | O | A | L | F | E | L | G |
| R | N | L | T | N | E | M | A | N | R | O | I | W |
| R | E | E | D | N | I | E | R | E | I | O | A | I |
Words to find
- carol
- chimney
- coal
- gingerbread
- jingle
- mistletoe
- nog
- ornament
- reindeer
- sleigh
- snowflake
- tinsel
12 words
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
PNG version — the exact file Download PNG saves
What each level asks of the solver
The easy puzzle keeps every word reading forwards — left to right, top to bottom, or down-right — because reading a word backwards is a separate skill from recognizing it at all. For a kindergartner, finding STOCKING along a diagonal is real work: the eye has to hold eight letters in order while the decoy letters around them compete for attention. That is the quiet curriculum inside any word search — visual discrimination, letter-sequence memory, and the discipline to scan a full line without skipping.
The harder puzzle unlocks all eight directions, the standard upper-elementary format, and the Christmas list runs long: GINGERBREAD is eleven letters, MISTLETOE and SNOWFLAKE nine. Finding them takes a system — down each column, across each row, then both diagonals — which is exactly the systematic scanning teachers want from morning work in the final days of December. The vocabulary stays secular and school-safe (ornament, carol, tinsel, chimney), so the puzzle flies in public-school classrooms without a second thought.
Teaching tips
Front-load the vocabulary
Read the word list aloud together before pencils touch the grid — a word search is a reading task only after the words mean something. Ornament and mistletoe are the two that usually need a quick picture or definition first, especially for English learners.
Name the scanning routine
Strong solvers scan one full row at a time, then the columns, then the diagonals — never random hops. Saying that routine out loud once turns the puzzle into a strategy lesson instead of ten minutes of lucky guessing.
The last week before break
December word searches are the classic pre-break seatwork: they hold focus while the room hums with holiday energy. Print double-sided with the color-by-number sheet and you have a two-station packet that survives even the party-day schedule.
Found is not finished
Early finishers pick three words from the list and write a sentence for each on the back — "I hung the stocking by the fireplace" counts. December vocabulary becomes December writing, and you get a quiet window of assessment for free.
Frequently asked questions
What words are in the Christmas word search?
The easy puzzle (K-2) hides santa, tree, star, gift, snow, bell, elf, deer, toy, candle, stocking and wreath. The harder puzzle (grades 3-5) hides ornament, reindeer, snowflake, chimney, gingerbread, sleigh, mistletoe, carol, jingle, tinsel, nog and coal.
How hard is each puzzle?
The easy puzzle is a 12x12 grid where words run only right, down, or down-right — nothing reads backwards. The hard puzzle is a 13x13 grid where words run in all eight directions, including reversed and upward, the standard grades 3-5 format.
What grade is a Christmas word search for?
Kindergarten through fifth grade. The easy grid suits K-2 as letter-recognition and December vocabulary work; the eight-direction grid suits grades 3-5 as morning work in the days before winter break.
Is the word list okay for public school?
Yes — the lists stick to secular holiday vocabulary: santa, gifts, trees, snow, reindeer, ornaments and treats (gingerbread, nog). No religious terms, so the puzzles work in any classroom and at any family table.
Does it print in black and white?
Yes — the puzzles are letters only, so a plain black-and-white copier print works fine. Print one letter page per puzzle at 100% scale.