Put your Christmas knowledge to the test with this fun Christmas Crossword Puzzle Game!
Crossword puzzles are a wonderful way to mix festive entertainment with a little thinking and word practice. Kids can read the Christmas-themed clues, work out the answers, and carefully fit each word into the crossword grid.
When the puzzle is finished, bring out the crayons or colored pencils and add some Christmas color to the page.
It’s an easy printable activity for quiet December afternoons, classroom Christmas parties, homeschool lessons, family gatherings, or Christmas break.
🎄 Solve the Christmas Crossword
The goal of a crossword puzzle is simple: read each clue and figure out the Christmas word that belongs in the numbered spaces.
Some answers run across the puzzle.
Others run down.
The words cross one another, so letters you’ve already filled in can provide helpful hints for answers you haven’t solved yet.
Start with the clues that seem easiest and work from there.
Before long, the entire puzzle may begin to come together.
🔎 Start With the Easy Clues
You don’t have to solve the crossword in order.
In fact, one of the best strategies is to look through all the clues first and answer the ones you recognize immediately.
Perhaps a clue makes you think of:
- Santa Claus
- Reindeer
- Christmas trees
- Presents
- Snow
- Elves
- Ornaments
- Stockings
- Candy canes
- Christmas songs
Once some of those answers are written into the grid, their letters can help with the harder clues.
✏️ Use a Pencil
A pencil is perfect for crossword puzzles.
Sometimes an answer seems right at first but doesn’t fit with another word later.
That’s okay!
Simply erase it and try again.
Working out incorrect answers is part of solving the puzzle.
Once every answer is correct, kids can trace over their words with a colored pencil or fine-tip marker if they’d like to make the finished puzzle stand out.
🔢 Check the Number Before Writing
Each crossword clue corresponds with a numbered space in the puzzle.
Before writing an answer:
- Find the clue number.
- Find the matching number on the crossword.
- Check whether the word goes across or down.
- Count the available spaces.
- Write one letter in each box.
If a word doesn’t fit, take another look at the clue.
There may be another Christmas word that works better.
🧩 Let the Crossing Letters Help You
One of the clever things about crossword puzzles is that the answers help one another.
Imagine you’re stuck on a six-letter Christmas word.
If two other answers cross that word, you might already know two or three of its letters.
Suddenly the mystery word becomes much easier to guess.
Encourage kids to use those crossing letters as clues instead of immediately asking for the answer.
There’s a great little feeling of accomplishment when the missing word finally clicks!
🧠 Christmas Fun With a Little Learning
A crossword puzzle may feel like a game, but it gives children opportunities to practice several useful skills at the same time.
Kids can work on:
- Reading comprehension
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
- Letter recognition
- Problem-solving
- Memory
- Concentration
- Logical thinking
- Following clues
- Writing neatly
Christmas-themed vocabulary can make that practice feel much more festive than an ordinary worksheet.
📚 Learn New Christmas Words
Sometimes a crossword clue introduces a word children haven’t encountered before.
That’s a perfect opportunity to learn something new.
If a child doesn’t know an answer, try giving a small hint rather than revealing the word immediately.
You might provide:
- The first letter
- The number of letters
- A rhyming word
- A short definition
- Another clue about the same object
After solving it, talk briefly about what the word means.
The puzzle can become a vocabulary activity without feeling like a vocabulary lesson.
🎅 Turn It Into a Christmas Quiz
Before writing answers into the crossword, read the clues aloud as a family Christmas quiz.
Let everyone take turns guessing.
You could award one pretend point for each correct answer.
Once all the clues have been discussed, children can return to the worksheet and fill in the crossword.
This makes the activity especially fun for siblings, friends, or family gatherings.
🎨 Color the Christmas Pictures
Once the crossword has been solved, the fun doesn’t have to end.
Bring out:
- Crayons
- Colored pencils
- Washable markers
- Glitter pens
- Metallic pencils
Then color any festive illustrations or decorations on the page.
Traditional Christmas colors such as red, green, gold, and silver are always lovely, but kids can use any colors they like.
A purple Christmas tree or rainbow-striped stocking is perfectly acceptable in Christmas puzzle land!
✨ Add Your Own Christmas Decorations
Kids can also decorate the empty spaces around the crossword.
Try drawing:
- Snowflakes
- Stars
- Holly leaves
- Candy canes
- Christmas ornaments
- Wrapped presents
- Tiny Christmas trees
- Gingerbread people
- Snowmen
- Reindeer
Add a colorful border around the page and the finished crossword can become a little piece of Christmas artwork.
📝 Make a Christmas Word List
After solving the puzzle, write down all the Christmas words that appeared.
Then see how many additional Christmas words you can think of.
Set a timer for two minutes and make it a challenge.
How many can you write?
Maybe:
Santa
Sleigh
Elf
Star
Bell
Wreath
Mistletoe
Stocking
Snowman
Gingerbread
Keep going until time runs out.
🔤 Play Christmas A to Z
Here’s another easy extension activity.
Try to think of one Christmas-related word for every letter of the alphabet.
For example:
A — Angel
B — Bell
C — Candy Cane
Continue through the alphabet and see how far you can get.
Some letters will be much trickier than others!
This can be played individually, in teams, or as a family.
✍️ Write a Silly Christmas Story
Take several words from the completed crossword and use them to create a Christmas story.
For example, if the puzzle includes words such as reindeer, present, snow, and elf, all four must appear somewhere in the story.
The sillier the story, the better.
Maybe an elf loses a present in a snowbank and needs a reindeer to help find it.
Children can write their story on another sheet of paper or tell it aloud.
🎁 Make Your Own Christmas Crossword Clues
Older children can try becoming puzzle creators themselves.
Choose several Christmas words and write a clue for each one.
For example:
Word: Reindeer
Clue: An animal that helps pull Santa’s sleigh.
Word: Ornament
Clue: Something you hang on a Christmas tree.
Word: Stocking
Clue: Santa may fill this with small presents.
Have another family member try to guess the answers.
Creating clues makes children think about words from a completely different perspective.
🏫 A Fun Christmas Classroom Activity
Christmas crosswords can be especially handy during December.
Teachers can use this printable for:
- Morning work
- Early finishers
- Christmas learning centers
- Vocabulary practice
- Indoor recess
- Classroom Christmas parties
- December activity packets
- Quiet independent work
Children can complete the crossword individually or work in pairs.
Once everyone has finished, go through the answers together as a class.
👩🏫 Work Together in Pairs
Crosswords can also make fun partner activities.
Pair two children together and have them take turns reading clues.
One child can solve an across clue and the other can try a down clue.
If someone gets stuck, their partner can offer a hint.
Working together turns the crossword into a cooperative Christmas challenge rather than a competition.
🏠 Easy Christmas Entertainment at Home
Keep a few Christmas printables ready during December for those moments when kids announce, “I’m bored!”
A crossword requires almost no preparation.
Simply print it and provide a pencil.
It’s a handy activity while adults are:
- Wrapping Christmas presents
- Baking cookies
- Preparing dinner
- Decorating the house
- Writing Christmas cards
- Getting ready for guests
It can provide a little quiet entertainment during an otherwise very busy month.
🚗 Add It to a Christmas Travel Pack
Heading away for Christmas?
Print several activity sheets before your trip and place them in a folder.
Add:
- Crosswords
- Mazes
- Word searches
- Dot-to-dots
- Matching puzzles
- Code breakers
- Color-by-number pages
- Coloring sheets
Pack a few pencils and colored pencils, and you’ve created a simple Christmas travel activity kit.
It’s handy for long car rides, flights, hotel stays, restaurants, and visits with relatives.
🎄 Create a Christmas Puzzle Book
Combine this crossword with several other Holly Jolly Christmas activities and make your own Christmas puzzle book.
Try adding the Christmas Gnomes Activity Page for Kids, which includes more festive puzzle fun.
Then add the Christmas Reindeer Dot to Dot and a Christmas Code Breaker.
Include a few coloring pages and you’ve got plenty of December entertainment in one little packet.
Staple the pages together or place them inside a Christmas folder.
🏆 Hold a Family Crossword Challenge
Print copies for several family members and see who can solve the crossword.
Instead of focusing only on speed, create some silly awards:
Christmas Crossword Champion
North Pole Word Wizard
Santa’s Spelling Star
Christmas Clue Detective
Elf Vocabulary Expert
You could even let everyone invent an award for somebody else.
🍪 Pair It With Christmas Cookies and Cocoa
Turn the worksheet into a cozy Christmas activity.
Make some hot chocolate, put a plate of Christmas cookies on the table, and turn on holiday music.
Then settle down together with Christmas puzzles, coloring pages, and pencils.
Kids can work on the crossword while adults join in with their own puzzle or coloring page.
Sometimes the simplest activities create the coziest December afternoons.
🎅 Can You Solve Every Christmas Clue?
Read the clues.
Fill in the answers.
Use your crossing letters when you get stuck.
And don’t worry if one clue takes a little longer than the others—that’s what makes solving a crossword satisfying.
Once the final word is in place, color the page, add your own Christmas decorations, and celebrate becoming a Christmas crossword champion!
Grab a pencil and get puzzling. 🎄✏️🧩🎅
🔗 Related Articles
- Christmas Activity Page for Kids
- Christmas Gnomes Activity Page for Kids
- Christmas Reindeer Dot to Dot
- Christmas Activities for Kids: Code Breaker
- Christmas Activities for Kids: Find 2 of the Same Christmas Balls
- Color by Numbers: Bear with Tree and Snowman
- Christmas Coloring Pages
