puzzEasy printable kriss kross puzzles for kids
The easy pack is where a child learns that a kriss kross is not guesswork. The grids are small and the word bank is short, and — crucially — there is almost always a length group containing exactly one word, so the very first move is forced and risk-free. Getting that opening right is the whole lesson; everything after it is following crossings.
Because there are no clues, nothing here depends on vocabulary or general knowledge. A child who reads confidently but knows nothing about capital cities or Greek myths is on exactly equal footing. All they need is the ability to count letters and compare a letter in position three of one word with position one of another.
What is in this pack
| Grid | small — the least crowded of the three packs | |
|---|---|---|
| Word bank | short, grouped by length, alphabetical within each group | |
| Opening move | usually forced — a length group with a single word | |
| Best for | ages 7-9 and anyone meeting a kriss kross for the first time | |
- Four A4 pagesThree puzzles, then a full answer key. Print the first three only if you would rather keep the answers.
- One verified solution eachEvery puzzle is passed through a solver and discarded unless exactly one answer fits.
- No sign-up, no watermarkA direct PDF download. No email address, no account, nothing to dismiss.
- Free to photocopyUse them at home, in a classroom, at a childminder or in a holiday club.
Teaching tip. Show the child how to write the length of each empty slot in pencil beside it before starting. Turning the grid into a list of numbers makes the match against the word bank obvious, and it is the habit that carries through to the harder packs.
How to solve a kriss kross puzzle
Never start with a guess. Start with whichever slot has the fewest possible words.
- Count the slots and the wordsLook at the grid and count the length of each empty run. Then look at the word bank, which is already grouped by length. Every slot of a given length must be filled from that length group, and there are exactly as many words as slots.
- Find a length with only one wordScan for a length where the bank holds a single word — or where the grid holds a single slot. That word can only go in that place, so write it in with no risk at all. This is the standard opening move and there is almost always one available.
- Follow the crossingsEvery letter you write down lands in a crossing slot too. Go to each crossing slot and check which remaining words of the right length have that letter in that position. Usually most candidates die immediately.
- Write in pencil and cross words offStrike each word off the bank as you place it. The bank shrinking is what makes the later slots easy, and a word that is still listed but seems to fit nowhere is the clue that an earlier placement was wrong.
- Trust that only one arrangement worksIf two words of the same length both seem to fit a slot, look at their crossing letters rather than picking one. Each puzzle has exactly one complete solution, so any genuine ambiguity means there is a crossing that has not been checked yet.
Who this pack suits
A small grid with short words. Usually one length group has a single word to open with.
How the kriss kross packs compare
| Kriss Kross pack | Ages | What it asks of them |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 7-9 | A small grid with short words. Usually one length group has a single word to open with. |
| Medium | 8-11 | More slots and more words per length group, so crossings have to do the work. |
| Tricky | 9-12 | The largest grids, with several same-length words competing for the same slots. |
Questions about this pack
How do you start an easy kriss kross?
Count the slot lengths, then look at the word bank for a length that has only one word. That word can go in only one place, so write it in. Its letters then narrow every slot that crosses it.
Is a kriss kross easier than a crossword?
For a child, considerably. A crossword can block you on a single unknown fact; a kriss kross gives you every answer up front, so being stuck is always something you can reason your way out of.
What age should try the easy pack?
Seven to nine. Below seven, counting and comparing words at a glance is usually still too much work, and a word search is a better choice.
Do I need a pencil rather than a pen?
Strongly recommended. Even on the easy pack a child will occasionally place a plausible word in the wrong slot, and the fix is a rubbing-out rather than a restart.
More free worksheets
Other kriss kross packs
Other kinds of puzzle
See all 17 free worksheet packs.
Hundreds more of these in the app
Puzzeroo is an iPhone and iPad app with two hundred word fit levels alongside three other puzzle types — eight hundred in total, all generated by the same verified engines that made this worksheet, all working fully offline with no adverts and no accounts. The worksheets and the app draw from completely separate puzzle ranges, so printing these gives nothing away.