A star hides among the letters on one sheet and sits beside a stocking on another. Find it with a pencil, then listen for its name when the bingo caller draws a card. The same Christmas pictures carry the game from one page to the next.
Download two free Christmas word search puzzles with answer keys, plus Christmas bingo with 30 different boards and 16 calling cards. Both games share the same vocabulary. Choose a six-word starter puzzle or a longer ten-word search, then bring everyone together for picture bingo at home or a class party. Jump to: word searches and answers · bingo cards and rules · choosing a level · class party · family game · printing
Where can I download the Christmas word searches with answers?
The word search PDF has four pages: a starter puzzle, a longer puzzle, and a separate answer key for each. Print the puzzle you want and keep its solution beside you until someone asks for a hint.
| Puzzle | Grid and word count | Where to look | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 8×8; six words | Across, left to right | Short words, large letters, and a picture beside each word in the bank |
| Longer search | 12×12; ten words | Across, left to right, and down | Longer names and two directions; a visible word bank |
All words run forward in the stated directions. The longer search uses words of up to eight letters. Letters stay in a straight line, and every answer appears on the matching solution page.
If you use our advent calendar printable, this is the activity for December 8. One puzzle can be the whole evening’s plan.
Starter word search: six short words
Word bank: TREE · STAR · GIFT · BELL · ELF · SANTA
Read the words together and look at their pictures before starting. Let your child choose which one to find first. For TREE, point to the T in the word bank, then look for a T in the grid and check the letters to its right.
Once you find the whole word, circle it and cross it off the bank. If the next T leads somewhere else, try another. You can share the job: your child chooses the starting letter, and you follow along with a finger while they check the rest.
Longer Christmas word search: ten words
Word bank: COOKIE · SLEIGH · REINDEER · STOCKING · SNOWMAN · WREATH · ORNAMENT · MITTEN · CANDLE · RIBBON
These ten names join the starter’s six in the bingo deck below. Before searching, say unfamiliar words aloud and use the calling-card pictures to show what they mean. A wreath is the ring of greenery; an ornament is the decoration hanging from the tree.
Choose a word, find its first letter, and check across or down. Keep following that direction through the final letter before marking it. Some words may share a letter.
For a useful hint, use the answer key to point to the right row or column. Your child can still find the start and trace the word. Keep the solution covered if you want to take a turn searching, too.
How do you play the printable Christmas bingo?
Give each player a different board and draw calling cards one at a time. Three marked squares in a straight line win: across, down, or diagonally. Each board has nine pictures with labels, selected from the same 16 words used across the two word searches. The center square holds a picture and is marked when called. Boards have different selections and arrangements, so a player may hear a word that is on someone else’s board.
Christmas bingo rules
You need a board and a crayon or pencil for each player, plus one complete calling deck and a bowl or bag.
- Prepare the game. You cut apart the 16 calling cards and put them in the bowl. Give each player a different numbered board.
- Show the winning pattern. Point out a row, a column, and a diagonal. Agree that any one complete line of three counts.
- Draw and call. Mix the deck, draw one card, and say its word. Hold up the picture while everyone looks.
- Mark a match. Players mark that square if it appears on their board. Leave the picture and label visible.
- Keep the called cards. Lay them face up away from the bowl and mark your caller checklist.
- Check “Bingo!” together. Match the three marked pictures to the cards already drawn. Players who finish on the same call share the win.
This follows the nine-square pattern described in the Minnesota Literacy Council’s vocabulary bingo instructions, which also keeps drawn words aside for checking a winning board.
For another round, trade boards, erase pencil marks or print fresh copies, and return all 16 cards to the bowl. For full-card bingo, agree before starting that all nine pictures must be marked.
What are the 16 Christmas bingo pictures?
These 16 are also a good list of basic Christmas words for kids to read and spell. Say the label first. You can add the short line below while holding up its picture; the lines are optional prompts for the caller.
| Label | A line to add when calling |
|---|---|
| TREE | Look for the branches with decorations. |
| STAR | Find the shape with five points. |
| GIFT | Find the wrapped box with a bow. |
| BELL | Look for the bell with a handle. |
| ELF | Find the little helper in a pointed hat. |
| SANTA | Look for the person with a white beard and a sack. |
| COOKIE | Find the gingerbread cookie on a plate. |
| SLEIGH | Look for the runners under Santa’s ride. |
| REINDEER | Find the animal with antlers. |
| STOCKING | Look for the big sock hanging from a loop. |
| SNOWMAN | Find the snow figure with a carrot nose. |
| WREATH | Look for the circle of leafy branches. |
| ORNAMENT | Find the round decoration with a hanging hook. |
| MITTEN | Look for the hand covering with one thumb. |
| CANDLE | Find the candle in its holder. |
| RIBBON | Look for the strip curled beside a spool. |
Which puzzle should I choose for my child’s age?
Can a 7-year-old do a word search? Yes: most children who are starting to read can, with short words, a small grid, and words that run only across. Start with how comfortably your child recognizes the words and follows a row of letters. The ages below are suggestions from Idunn; you can choose either puzzle at any age.
- Preschool, around ages 3–4: begin with picture bingo beside an adult. Name the pictures together and help mark matches. Offer the letter grid if your child wants to look for a familiar letter.
- Around ages 5–7: try the starter puzzle. Keep its picture word bank visible and find the first word together.
- Around ages 8–10 and practiced puzzle solvers: offer the longer search, with ten words running across or down. An older child can also enjoy being the bingo caller.
If a word stays hidden, look at the solution together or stop after a few finds. To continue with pictures, let your child choose from the Christmas coloring pages, or try the Christmas mazes. Year-round puzzles by level are in our word search for kids, and every Christmas activity is gathered in the Christmas activity pages.
You cut the calling cards and supervise play; use crayon marks and keep loose counters away from children under 3, following the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidance on small parts.
How can I use the games at a Christmas class party?
Print one different bingo board per player, or per pair, for up to 30 boards in one game. Print the calling deck once and keep the word search answer pages with the adult leading the activity.
Begin by showing the pictures and naming them. In the British Council’s classroom example of vocabulary bingo, children hear weather words and cover matching pictures. Use the same listening-and-matching routine with this Christmas set, showing each card as you call it.
For two activity stations, put both word search levels on one table and run bingo at the other. Students can choose a puzzle, work with a partner, or join the next round. With more than 30 players, use pairs or separate games with their own decks.
Check your school’s celebration plans before choosing Christmas materials. In a group using both languages, the Spanish Christmas word search and lotería offers a separate set with Mexican Christmas vocabulary.
How can the family play together at home?
One adult can call while children, grandparents, and other relatives each take a board. A younger child can sit with a partner who reads the labels; an older child can draw the next card and show it to everyone.
For a cooperative game, share one board and take turns marking the pictures until all nine are found. Use the starter puzzle earlier in the day and keep bingo for when everyone sits down together.
A round can become one of your Christmas Eve traditions. If your child wants to write afterward, the letter to Santa template gives them room for a message and a drawing.
How do I print the word searches and bingo cards?
Choose the US Letter or A4 PDF to match your paper. Print single-sided at actual size; the black-and-white artwork works on a home printer.
The bingo PDF fits two boards per page. Select only the pages you need, plus the calling cards and rules; preview the first sheet before printing the class set.
Idunn’s take
We chose one set of pictures so a word found in the puzzle can return when someone calls it aloud. At Idunn, nurturing curiosity can begin with that small recognition. Let your child choose the first word to hunt for, or hand you a board and take the caller’s seat.
Sources
- Minnesota Literacy Council. English as a Second Language Volunteer Tutor Manual, 2013, “Vocabulary Bingo,” printed p. 62 (PDF page 62). Rules for nine-square vocabulary bingo, keeping drawn cards, and picture support. A manual for adult English-language tutoring; cited for game mechanics.
- British Council, TeachingEnglish. “Programme 3: A visit to a vocabulary class”, undated. Classroom example using called weather words and matching pictures.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Small Parts Ban and Choking Hazard Labeling”, undated. Small-parts choking risk for children under 3.
Sources checked October 15, 2026. Puzzle sizes, word lists, age suggestions, calling prompts, and Christmas adaptations are Idunn editorial choices.
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