Christmas word games in one pack
Print a Christmas word scramble, prepare a word search, race through the alphabet, decode a message and finish with hangman. The word cards above provide clues and caller words; the five sheets below include spaces for players’ answers and keys for the host. Play in teams of two or three, or solve the puzzles together around the table.
Print and prepare the games
The word search needs preparation before the party. Everything else can be played using the cards, sheets and keys here. Browser printing may spread them across more than five pages: “Sheet 1” through “Sheet 5” identify the games, not a fixed PDF layout.
- Print a proof copy using the print control above or your browser’s Print command. Check the preview before making several copies.
- Fill the word-search grid and mark a separate host copy. Do this before copying it for players.
- Make one set per team of two or three, plus two spare sets if useful. Plain paper works; use card stock if you prefer sturdier sheets.
- Keep the scramble answers, race examples and cipher solution with the host. Player copies should not include those keys; cover or separate them before play.
- Put out one pencil per player and a timer. Write team names on the sheets.
If you are preparing ahead, print and try a proof set a week before the party, make player copies about three days before, and separate the keys the day before. In print settings, try half-inch margins and check that the grid fits; printer settings vary.
If some guests are not reading yet, pair them with a reader or offer Christmas picture bingo. For other sheets to use at the same table, browse printable party games.
Sheet 1: Christmas word scramble
Give teams 8 minutes to solve as many of the 22 scrambles as they can. The cards above include a clue and letter count for each word. Take turns holding the pencil; award one point per correct answer. Write CANDY CANE as two words, although the scramble omits the space.
Team: ____________________
| No. | Scramble | Letters | Your answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GELHIS | 6 | ____________________ |
| 2 | THGSIL | 6 | ____________________ |
| 3 | HEARTW | 6 | ____________________ |
| 4 | WOMANNS | 7 | ____________________ |
| 5 | NASAT | 5 | ____________________ |
| 6 | NEERDIER | 8 | ____________________ |
| 7 | GLEJIN | 6 | ____________________ |
| 8 | CACOO | 5 | ____________________ |
| 9 | NETTIM | 6 | ____________________ |
| 10 | KINCTOSG | 8 | ____________________ |
| 11 | DANGERBRIGE | 11 | ____________________ |
| 12 | GOGGNE | 6 | ____________________ |
| 13 | TIPSTOENIA | 10 | ____________________ |
| 14 | MANTENOR | 8 | ____________________ |
| 15 | RAGLAND | 7 | ____________________ |
| 16 | PEACEFILR | 9 | ____________________ |
| 17 | NYACCANED | 9 | ____________________ |
| 18 | YOLHL | 5 | ____________________ |
| 19 | LISTEN | 6 | ____________________ |
| 20 | SOMETITLE | 9 | ____________________ |
| 21 | BEDCREME | 8 | ____________________ |
| 22 | WOKEFLANS | 9 | ____________________ |
Scramble answer key
Keep this key with the host.
- GELHIS → SLEIGH
- THGSIL → LIGHTS
- HEARTW → WREATH
- WOMANNS → SNOWMAN
- NASAT → SANTA
- NEERDIER → REINDEER
- GLEJIN → JINGLE
- CACOO → COCOA
- NETTIM → MITTEN
- KINCTOSG → STOCKING
- DANGERBRIGE → GINGERBREAD
- GOGGNE → EGGNOG
- TIPSTOENIA → POINSETTIA
- MANTENOR → ORNAMENT
- RAGLAND → GARLAND
- PEACEFILR → FIREPLACE
- NYACCANED → CANDY CANE
- YOLHL → HOLLY
- LISTEN → TINSEL
- SOMETITLE → MISTLETOE
- BEDCREME → DECEMBER
- WOKEFLANS → SNOWFLAKE
Sheet 2: Make the word search
Hide the 14 words from the word-search bank above in this 12-by-12 grid. Write one letter per square, across, down or diagonally. For younger players, use forward words only. Words may share a matching letter; you can try overlapping three pairs, but it is not required.
Place every bank word once, fill empty squares with random letters, then check that filler letters have not accidentally repeated a bank word. Mark each word on a separate host copy. If you use the same grid for everyone, check answers against that copy; if teams make different grids, let them swap after finishing.
Team: ____________________
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Allow 10 minutes to circle the words. A player who finishes can call “snow” and help check a teammate’s sheet. There is no universal answer key for a grid you make yourself; your marked host copy is the key.
Sheet 3: Play the A-to-Z race
Set a five-minute timer. Call letters in order and read the matching hint from the cards above. The first team to write an accepted answer earns one point for that letter. Stop when the timer rings or you reach Z. A team may swap one stuck letter for a different one during the game.
Before you start, agree whether winter words and other holiday words count. For example, dreidel belongs to Hanukkah; accept it only if you are playing a broader holiday round. The examples below are host suggestions, not the only possible answers. Accept a word or phrase that begins with the called letter and fits your agreed theme. You can offer one extra point for answering X with “Xmas” if you announce that rule first.
Teams: ____________________ and ____________________ · Timer: ______ minutes
| Letter | Team 1 answer | Team 2 answer |
|---|---|---|
| A | __________________ | __________________ |
| B | __________________ | __________________ |
| C | __________________ | __________________ |
| D | __________________ | __________________ |
| E | __________________ | __________________ |
| F | __________________ | __________________ |
| G | __________________ | __________________ |
| H | __________________ | __________________ |
| I | __________________ | __________________ |
| J | __________________ | __________________ |
| K | __________________ | __________________ |
| L | __________________ | __________________ |
| M | __________________ | __________________ |
| N | __________________ | __________________ |
| O | __________________ | __________________ |
| P | __________________ | __________________ |
| Q | __________________ | __________________ |
| R | __________________ | __________________ |
| S | __________________ | __________________ |
| T | __________________ | __________________ |
| U | __________________ | __________________ |
| V | __________________ | __________________ |
| W | __________________ | __________________ |
| X | __________________ | __________________ |
| Y | __________________ | __________________ |
| Z | __________________ | __________________ |
A-to-Z race host examples
- A: angel or advent calendar
- B: bells, bow, or bake
- C: candy cane, Claus, or chimney
- D: December, deer, or dreidel
- E: elf, elves, or evergreen
- F: fireplace, fir, or frost
- G: gingerbread, garland, or gift
- H: holly or hot cocoa
- I: icicle, ice skates, or icing
- J: jingle, jolly, or jingle bells
- K: kiss under the mistletoe or kings
- L: lights or laugh
- M: merry, mistletoe, or mist
- N: Noel, nutcracker, or naughty list
- O: ornament or open presents
- P: poinsettia, present, or peppermint
- Q: quiet night or quilted stocking
- R: reindeer, Rudolph, or ribbon
- S: Santa, sleigh, stocking, or snow
- T: tree or tinsel
- U: unwrap or under the tree
- V: Vixen or a visit from Santa
- W: wreath or wrapping paper
- X: Xmas (optional bonus point if announced before play)
- Y: yule log or yuletide
- Z: zigzag lights or zesty gingerbread
Team 1 points: ______ · Team 2 points: ______
Sheet 4: Decode the cryptogram
Each plain letter has a substitute. To decode, find a coded letter in the bottom row and write the plain letter directly above it. For example, coded K means C. Give players both rows, or reveal half the key at a time if they want a challenge.
| Plain | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coded | M | R | K | W | A | P | T | U | S | V | X | Y | Z |
| Plain | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coded | B | N | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | Q | L | O |
Team: ____________________
KNKNM RAPNEA KMENYF, MBW FGNKXSBTF RL GUA PSEA
KNKNM → _ _ _ _ _
RAPNEA → _ _ _ _ _ _
KMENYF, → _ _ _ _ _ _ ,
MBW → _ _ _
FGNKXSBTF → _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
RL → _ _
GUA → _ _ _
PSEA → _ _ _ _
Cryptogram answer key
COCOA BEFORE CAROLS, AND STOCKINGS BY THE FIRE
Solve together if the group would rather share answers than compete. Allow about 8 minutes in the example session below.
Sheet 5: Play hangman
Pick a word from the cards above without showing it to the guessers. Draw one blank per letter, leaving gaps between words. Reveal every occurrence of a correctly guessed letter and cross each guessed letter off the alphabet below.
Use a limit of 10 incorrect guesses per word and tell players that rule before starting. The suggested tiers are short words for ages 4–6, longer words for ages 7–9 and phrases for ages 10 and up. Adjust for the children’s reading experience. For team play, let the winning team call the next word from one tier below its own; use Tier 1 again if there is no lower tier.
Hangman word tiers
- Tier 1 (ages 4–6): STAR, ELF, SLED, TOY, BOW, TREE.
- Tier 2 (ages 7–9): SNOWMAN, SLEIGH, CANDLE, HOLLY, WREATH, JINGLE.
- Tier 3 (ages 10 and up): GINGERBREAD HOUSE, CANDY CANE, CHRISTMAS STOCKING, PAPER SNOWFLAKE, MERRY AND BRIGHT, HOT COCOA REFILL.
Hangman response sheet
Team: ____________________ · Caller: ____________________
| Round | Tier | Draw the word blanks here | Incorrect guesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ______ | ________________________________________ | __________________ |
| 2 | ______ | ________________________________________ | __________________ |
| 3 | ______ | ________________________________________ | __________________ |
Alphabet to cross off: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Leave space below each round on your printed copy for a hangman drawing, or just count incorrect guesses. A child who is not reading yet can suggest letters with help from a teammate.
An example 45-minute game session
This is one possible order, not a promise about how long children will stay interested. The five rounds total 38 minutes; explanations and changing sheets add 7 minutes, for 45 minutes overall.
- 0:00–0:04 · Explain the games and share pencils. Read a sample clue and show teams where to write.
- 0:04–0:12 · Solve the scramble. Allow 8 minutes, then check answers.
- 0:12–0:22 · Find the word-search words. Allow 10 minutes with the prepared grid.
- 0:22–0:25 · Change sheets and explain race scoring. Agree on acceptable answers and the one-letter swap.
- 0:25–0:30 · Play the A-to-Z race. Stop after 5 minutes, even if letters remain.
- 0:30–0:38 · Decode the cryptogram. Spend 8 minutes solving together or in teams.
- 0:38–0:45 · Finish with hangman. Play short rounds for the remaining 7 minutes.
If you only need a short activity, play one sheet. For a simpler backup, see easy party games; for other seated options, see quiet party games.
More games for your Christmas gathering
When guests want to act instead of write, try Christmas acting cards for families. If they would rather make something, the Christmas paper puppet craft kit offers a different table activity. For a gathering with several games, use Christmas party games for families to find options that fit the room and age mix.
Hosting in another season? The Thanksgiving word games pack and Halloween word games pack use seasonal word lists. Browse seasonal party ideas when you need activities beyond word games.
Questions about the Christmas word games
What does the pack include?
Five games: a 22-word scramble, a word search you prepare from a 14-word bank, an A-to-Z race, a substitution cryptogram and hangman in three suggested age tiers. The word cards, blank response sheets and host keys are on this page.
How long should we allow?
The example below allows 45 minutes, including 7 minutes for explaining games and changing sheets. Shorten or skip a round if the children are ready to stop.
Do I have to prepare the word search?
Yes. Fill the blank 12-by-12 grid with the 14 bank words, then add filler letters and mark a host copy before making player copies.
What if a team gets stuck on a letter?
Allow one swap per team during the race. Give that team a different letter and use the host examples to help judge answers.
Can children who are not reading yet join in?
Pair them with a reader who can read clues aloud and help them match letters. Try the shortest hangman words, or offer Christmas picture bingo as a separate game.