Free Christmas worksheets for children, with seven printable activities that use real Christmas words, from trees and stockings to reindeer and gingerbread. Print a word search in three levels, bingo cards, a word scramble, a “how many words can you make” page, an acrostic poem, a writing prompt and a fold-up Christmas card, each with an answer key where one is needed.
Christmas worksheets to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the Christmas maker prints: a medium word search with a word list, two bingo cards on a page, an acrostic poem for the letters of JOYFUL, and the fold-up card that says “Merry Christmas!” Click a picture for the PDF.
Prefer one download? Grab the ready-made Christmas activity pack (PDF), which has every page in one file.
About Christmas: the holiday at a glance
A little background makes the words on the page mean more. Here are the basic facts that go with these Christmas worksheets:
| Date | December 25 for most Christians, and January 7 for some Orthodox churches |
|---|---|
| What it marks | The birth of Jesus, for Christians; many people also enjoy it as a family and cultural holiday |
| Countdown | Advent calendars count the days from December 1 |
| Symbols | Trees, stars, wreaths, candles, bells and holly |
| Colors | Red, green and gold |
| Foods | Cookies, gingerbread, roast dinners and many family dishes |
The story of Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 by Christians around the world as the birthday of Jesus. Many traditions grew around it over the centuries. The decorated tree is often traced to Germany, and Santa Claus is based on the stories of St. Nicholas, a bishop who was known for giving gifts.
Today people celebrate in many ways, from midnight church services to snowy mornings with presents. Customs differ by country: families in Mexico hold posadas, children in the Netherlands look for gifts on St. Nicholas Day, and in Australia Christmas falls in summer, so many people have barbecues on the beach.
Wikipedia’s Christmas article explains the history and customs of the holiday around the world.
What is in the Christmas activity pack?
Every activity uses the same list of 24 Christmas words, so children meet each word several times in different ways. The list is the heart of these Christmas worksheets: the word search hides it, the scramble mixes it up, the bingo calls it out and the writing prompt asks children to use it.
| Activity | What children do | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Word search | Find the hidden words | Three levels, see the next table, with an answer key |
| Word scramble | Unscramble the letters | 12 words chosen from the 24 words with 3 to 11 letters, with an answer key |
| Bingo | Cover the words as they are called | 5 × 5 cards with a free space and 24 words, which can be arranged in 6.2 × 1023 different ways; print 2 to 30 cards plus caller cards |
| How many words? | Make new words from the letters of “Merry Christmas” | 14 letters to use, 10 of them different |
| Acrostic poem | Write a line for each letter of JOYFUL | 6 letters, each with its own writing line |
| Writing prompt | Answer: “You wake up and it has snowed all night. Write about your snowy day.” | A picture box and lined paper |
| Fold-up card | Color, write and fold | Front says “Merry Christmas!”, with space for a drawing and a message |
Christmas word search: three levels
The word search is the most popular page, and it comes in three levels so one sheet can suit a whole class. The grids get bigger and the words can run in more directions:
| Level | Grid | Words | Fits the Christmas list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 10 × 10 grid | 10 words, hidden across and down | 23 of the 24 Christmas words fit |
| Medium | 13 × 13 grid | 14 words, hidden across, down and diagonally | 24 of the 24 Christmas words fit |
| Hard | 15 × 15 grid | 18 words, hidden in every direction, even backwards | 24 of the 24 Christmas words fit |
The longest Christmas word is gingerbread with 11 letters, and the shortest word is elf with 3. Words that are too long for a grid are left out of that level, so every puzzle has a solution.
Christmas vocabulary: words to talk about
Take a few minutes to talk about the words before children search for them. These eight are a good place to start:
| Word | Letters | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ornament | 8 | A decoration that hangs on a Christmas tree |
| wreath | 6 | A ring of leaves and flowers hung on a door |
| stocking | 8 | A sock hung up to hold small gifts |
| carols | 6 | Songs sung at Christmas |
| sleigh | 6 | A vehicle that slides over snow, pulled by animals |
| mistletoe | 9 | A plant hung at Christmas; people may kiss beneath it |
| holly | 5 | A shrub with prickly leaves and red berries |
| gingerbread | 11 | A spicy cake or cookie, often cut into shapes |
The other 16 words in the list are tree, star, snow, santa, reindeer, gifts, cookies, lights, bells, elf, angel, family, chimney, presents, december and snowman.
How people celebrate Christmas
- Decorating a tree with lights and ornaments
- Singing carols and attending church services
- Giving and opening gifts
- Baking cookies and sharing a family meal
- Sending cards and visiting relatives
Christmas activities for kids to do with the worksheets
Pair the printed pages with a hands-on idea, and the vocabulary sticks:
- Snowy day story: use the writing prompt about waking up to snow, and add a drawing in the picture box.
- Joyful acrostic: write a Christmas poem with the letters of JOYFUL.
- Christmas bingo: play with candy cane counters or small pom-poms.
- Kindness countdown: list 24 small kind acts and do one each day of Advent.
- Card for a neighbor: fold the Merry Christmas card and write a message inside.
A note for families and teachers
Christmas is both a religious holiday and a cultural one. These activities focus on the common words and traditions, and you can skip or adapt any part that does not fit your family or classroom.
Christmas worksheets for different ages
The activities suit a wide range, and you can choose the right level for each child:
| Age | Best pages | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 4 to 5 | Bingo cards and the Christmas card, with a grown-up reading the words | Use pictures or real objects as bingo counters |
| Ages 6 to 7 | The easy word search (10 words), the scramble and the acrostic | Work in pairs and use the word list at the bottom of the page |
| Ages 8 to 10 | The medium and hard word searches (14 and 18 words) and the writing prompt | Ask for a paragraph, not a sentence, and add a drawing |
How to use these Christmas worksheets in five minutes
The christmas worksheets maker works from the 24-word Christmas list, so whichever page you print uses the same words. Choose an activity, set the level and press Download PDF or Print, and press New puzzles for a fresh set.
Christmas worksheets: frequently asked questions
Are these Christmas worksheets free?
Yes. Every page is free to print for home and classroom use.
What ages are the Christmas worksheets for?
Ages 4 to 10. The card, bingo and acrostic suit younger children, and the word search and scramble suit grades 1 to 5.
Can I print more than one bingo card?
Yes. The maker can print 2, 4, 10, 20 or 30 different bingo cards, with caller cards.
Christmas printables: find the right page
Christmas bingo printable
The christmas bingo printable has 5 by 5 cards with a free space and all 24 Christmas words. Print 2 to 30 different cards with a caller sheet, then call the words and cover them.
Christmas worksheets for kids
The christmas worksheets for kids above are free to print and made for ages 4 to 10. Choose one page or the whole pack: a word search, bingo, a word scramble, a how-many-words page, an acrostic poem for JOYFUL, a writing prompt and a fold-up card.
Christmas word search printable
The christmas word search printable comes in easy, medium and hard grids with 10, 14 and 18 words, and an answer key page for each, so one sheet can suit a whole class.
More holiday worksheets
- New Year worksheets
- Hanukkah worksheets
- Winter worksheets
- All holiday worksheets for 22 holidays and seasons
- Word search generator for your own words
- Bingo card generator for custom cards