A Free Winter Word Search to Welcome the Colder Season

'Tis the season of hot chocolate, snowflakes, and winter word search puzzles! 

But when it’s too cold to go outside, winter word searches are a fun indoor activity to keep your child learning while improving their vocabulary and spelling skills.

This free printable is a great way to get your child excited about the winter season as well as the upcoming festivities that this time of year brings. 

To get started, grab a pencil and print a copy of the winter word search. Let your child know that the words can run across, down, and diagonally — and may also overlap.  

As you go through the list of winter words, ask your child why they think each word was included in the winter-themed list. 

If your child can’t find all the hidden words, you can help them by suggesting that they look for the first letter of the word in the grid. Once they find it, they can check the surrounding letters to see if it forms the word. 

Download your copy by clicking on the puzzle below.

Once all of the words have been found, ask your child to use the list of words to: 

• Draw a picture featuring as many of the words in the list and labeling them.

• Create a story including all of the words on the list.

• Write about their favorite winter tradition(s) and include some of the words from the list.

• Play hangman together using the words from the list (or any other winter words you can think of).

• Head outdoors for a scavenger hunt challenge where you try to find as many of the hidden winter words as possible. 

When you’re done, it’s time to snuggle up with a cozy winter holiday book! Take your pick from the list below. You can find the best books of the year, best-selling book sets, seasonal stories, gifts, and so much more on our Holiday Gift Guide at The Scholastic Store. 

For more quick tips and book recommendations, sign up for our Scholastic Parents newsletter!

You'll also get 15% off your first order at the Scholastic Store Online.