Christmas Crossword Puzzle (free printable)
A free Christmas crossword with thirteen words and kid-friendly clues for grades 2 to 5: reindeer, stocking, gingerbread, Bethlehem and more, with an answer key.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.
All 13 words are in the crossword (15 × 12 squares).
About this set
Thirteen Christmas words and a clue for each, from everyday items (stocking, wreath, tinsel, chimney) to the characters and places in the story and songs (Santa, reindeer, elf, angel, Bethlehem). The clues are written in plain language, and several are fill-in-the-blank style so students use the word rather than just recognize it. The layout is built fresh each time, so a class set can have a different puzzle on every table. It is a quiet way to fill a half hour during a hectic December week, and it keeps the vocabulary in front of students.
Grades: 2nd to 5th grade. Best in: December.
The words and clues
- Santa :
- The jolly man in a red suit who brings gifts
- Reindeer :
- Animals with antlers that pull Santa’s sleigh
- Sleigh :
- A vehicle that slides over snow, pulled by animals
- Elf :
- A small helper who makes toys at the North Pole
- Stocking :
- A long sock hung by the fireplace and filled with small gifts
- Ornament :
- A shiny decoration that hangs on a Christmas tree
- Wreath :
- A ring of evergreen branches hung on a door
- Gingerbread :
- A spicy brown cookie shaped like a man or a house
- Angel :
- A winged messenger who sits at the top of some trees
- Bethlehem :
- The town where the Christmas story says Jesus was born
- Carols :
- Songs that people sing at Christmas time
- Chimney :
- Santa slides down this to enter a house
- Tinsel :
- Thin, shiny strands draped on a tree
How to use it: five ideas
- Choose the wording: give students a choice between the word bank and no word bank, and see who picks which.
- Clue writers: students write a new clue for three answers, and swap with a partner to solve them.
- Read-aloud link: after reading a Christmas picture book, ask which answers appeared in the story.
- Class set: press Make another for every table so each group has a different layout.
- Secular edit: delete Bethlehem and angel from the box to make the crossword for all students; the rest is rebuilt at once.
Related
Questions
Does it have an answer key?
Yes. The second page shows every square filled in, and the list of answers by number.
What if a word does not fit?
A word only goes in if it crosses another. If a word is left out, it is listed under the preview. Press Make another for a layout that may fit it.
Can I change the words and clues?
Yes. Each of the 13 lines is a word, a colon and its clue. Edit any of them, and the crossword is rebuilt with new numbers.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. The puzzle is page one and the answer key is page two.
How do I get a different layout?
Press “Make another”. The same words and clues are placed in a new arrangement, so each table can have its own puzzle.
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