Printable Crossword Puzzles for Kids
Updated November 2026 · 33 free printables
Free printable crossword puzzles for kids, from preschool to 5th grade, 33 in all. The youngest start with picture crosswords: six short words like cow, pig and egg, where every clue is a colored picture with its number and an arrow that shows across or down, and a word bank at the bottom to copy from.
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About these printables
First and second graders get easy crosswords with ten words, one-sentence clues such as A green animal that hops and says ribbit, and a word bank with every answer. Grades 3 to 5 move on to bigger grids with twelve or thirteen words and no word bank, about space, insects, the human body, wild animals, sports and the seasons.
Each grid is built by our own program and checked by code before it is printed: every word crosses another one, no stray letters form extra words, and the clue numbers follow the usual crossword rules. The clues are written for children, short and clear with one obvious answer and no trick wordplay. Themes include Christmas (four puzzles), Halloween, Thanksgiving, fall, winter, spring, summer, the farm, the ocean, food, weather, school, colors and shapes, and things that go. Every PDF has an answer key on page 2.
At a glance
- Pages
- 33 free printables, one PDF each
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Levels
- Pre-K to Grade 3
- Answer keys
- on page 2 of every PDF
- Paper
- US Letter and A4
- Complete pack
- all 33 pages in one PDF, free with an email sign-up
- Price
- free; every single page downloads with no sign-up
Printable Crossword Puzzles for Kids, One by One
A closer look at the pages that belong to this collection itself. The other pages in the gallery above are described on their own theme pages, linked from each card.
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1. Space Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle for grades 3 to 5 about space science: the planets, the Moon, comets, orbits and gravity. It has thirteen clues across and down, answers from 4 to 9 letters and no word bank, so kids count the boxes and use the crossing letters. Answer key on page 2. It is a crossword for grades 3 to 5 with no word bank: the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints.
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2. Sports Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle for grades 3 to 5 about sports and games: balls, goals, referees, whistles and medals. It has thirteen clues across and down, answers from 4 to 10 letters and no word bank, so kids count the boxes and use the crossing letters. Answer key on page 2. It is a crossword for grades 3 to 5 with no word bank: the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints. Use your team colors.
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3. Winter Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle for grades 3 to 5 about winter: snow, ice, cold-weather clothes and animals that hibernate. It has thirteen clues across and down, answers from 4 to 9 letters and no word bank, so kids count the boxes and use the crossing letters. Answer key on page 2. It is a crossword for grades 3 to 5 with no word bank: the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints.
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4. Summer Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle for grades 3 to 5 about summer days: the beach, the pool, picnics, camping and cold treats. It has thirteen clues across and down, answers from 4 to 10 letters and no word bank, so kids count the boxes and use the crossing letters. Answer key on page 2. It is a crossword for grades 3 to 5 with no word bank: the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints.
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5. Human Body Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle for grades 3 to 5 about the human body: organs, bones, muscles and skin. It has thirteen clues across and down, answers from 4 to 8 letters and no word bank, so kids count the boxes and use the crossing letters. Answer key on page 2. It is a crossword for grades 3 to 5 with no word bank: the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints.
Tips for coloring Printable Crossword Puzzles for Kids
- Read the first few clues aloud together, then let your child take over.
- Solve the clue you are surest about first: every word you fill in gives you letters for the words that cross it.
- Write in pencil. Crossword fans erase all the time, and that is part of the fun.
- Count the boxes before you guess: a four-letter answer can't be ELEPHANT.
- For the grades 3 to 5 puzzles, leave a hard clue for later and come back when a few letters are filled in.
Fun facts about Printable Crossword Puzzles for Kids
- The first crossword puzzle was printed in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. Its maker, Arthur Wynne, called it a word-cross.
- In 1924 a new publishing company called Simon & Schuster made its first book: a book of crossword puzzles. It was a best seller.
- The New York Times printed its first crossword in 1942 and has published one every day since 1950.
- Our grids are built by a program and checked by a second program, so every word crosses another and no stray letters make extra words.
Fun ways to use your printables
- Make your own crossword on graph paper with the names of your family and pets, then swap with a sibling.
- After finishing, use three of the answers in one silly sentence.
- Laminate a puzzle or slip it into a sheet protector and solve it with a dry-erase marker again and again.
- Time each other on the same puzzle; the grown-up has to answer the down clues only.
How to print
Click Download PDF on any page and print it at 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Use regular printer paper for crayons and pencils, or cardstock for markers and paint. Every page here is free for home, classroom and party use, so feel free to print as many copies as you need.
Frequently asked questions
What age are crossword puzzles good for?
Picture crosswords work from about age 4 or 5, once a child knows most letters and can copy a short word. Easy crosswords with a word bank suit ages 6 to 8, and the grades 3 to 5 puzzles, with longer words and no word bank, are right for ages 8 to 11.
How does a crossword work for a child who has never done one?
Each answer starts in the box with its number. Across answers go from left to right, down answers go from top to bottom. Where two words cross they share a letter, so every word you solve gives you a letter of another one. Start with the clue you are surest about.
Do the easy crosswords have a word bank?
Yes. The picture crosswords and the easy crosswords for grades 1 and 2 print every answer in a word bank, so kids can check their spelling. The grades 3 to 5 puzzles leave it out; the number of boxes and the crossing letters are the hints.
Are the answers checked?
Yes. A program places the words and a second check confirms that the grid contains exactly the clue words, that all words are connected and that the numbers are right. The answer key on page 2 shows every letter in red.
Do crosswords help with spelling and reading?
They do. To fill the boxes a child has to read the clue, think of the word and spell it letter by letter, and the crossing letters show right away when a spelling is off. The clues also build vocabulary and reading comprehension in a way that feels like a game.
Are the crossword puzzles free?
Yes. Every puzzle is a free PDF for US Letter paper (it also prints on A4) with the answer key on page 2. No signup and no email; print as many as you need for home, homeschool or a classroom.