Christmas puzzles are a cozy way to spend the slow parts of the holidays: the afternoon after the big meal, a snowy morning, or the last day of school before break. A pencil, a printed page and a little friendly competition go a long way.
This pack of free Christmas crossword and word puzzles has five different puzzles: an easy crossword for kids, a hard crossword for adults, a word scramble, a secret code with hidden Christmas messages, and a word-building challenge. Answer keys are included.
What’s in the Christmas word puzzle pack
The PDF has 8 US Letter pages: a cover, five puzzle pages and two pages of answer keys. Every crossword grid was generated and checked by me so that every clue fits and no letters accidentally form extra words.
Easy Christmas crossword
Twelve friendly clues like “Santa’s flying sled” and “Treats left out for Santa”, with the number of letters shown after each clue. Great for kids from about 7 and up.
Hard Christmas crossword
Fifteen trickier clues for teens and adults, from poinsettia and fruitcake to the famous holiday ballet. A nice challenge with a mug of cocoa.
Christmas word scramble
Sixteen Christmas words with their letters mixed up, like TSAAN and RTEAHW. Kids love racing each other to unscramble them all.
Secret Christmas code
Each letter has a number (A = 1, B = 2 and so on). Use the key at the top to decode four hidden Christmas messages. A fun one for kids who like spy games.
Word builder: MERRY CHRISTMAS
How many words can you make from the letters in MERRY CHRISTMAS? There are 45 lines to fill. It’s a great family or classroom competition: set a timer for ten minutes and see who finds the most.
Answer keys
The last two pages have the solved crosswords, the unscrambled words, the decoded messages and a few word-builder ideas to get you started.
Ways to use these puzzles
- Holiday party game: hand out the word scramble and give a small prize to the first to finish.
- Classroom fun: perfect for the last week before winter break or as early-finisher work.
- Family table: leave a few pages next to the cookies on Christmas Eve.
- Travel: tuck a couple of pages into a bag for long car rides to visit family.
- Christmas cards: slip a secret code message into a card for a fun surprise.
How to print
- Download the PDF with the button below.
- Print at Actual size / 100% on US Letter, or “Fit to page” on A4.
- Print the answer pages separately if you’re running a contest.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Christmas puzzles free?
Yes, free for personal and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need. Please don’t sell them or share the PDF directly; send people a link to this page instead.
Which puzzles are best for younger kids?
The easy crossword, the word scramble and the secret code work well from about age 7. The hard crossword and the word builder are better for older kids, teens and adults.
More free Christmas puzzles
Need more? Try my free Christmas word search puzzles, the Christmas bingo cards for a group game, and the all-year free printable crossword puzzles.
Want puzzles for the rest of the year? Try these free printable crossword puzzles: 12 crosswords from easy to hard, with answer keys.
Save it for later
Want to come back to these puzzles? Save this image to your Pinterest board.
Merry Christmas, and happy puzzling!
