Carnival Theme Crossword Puzzles Free Printable

Print a criss-cross carnival crossword of rides, games, food and shows, from Carousel to Cotton candy, with its answer key.

More options

Settings you change are kept in this browser for your next visit.

Name Date

Carnival Crossword

Read each clue and write the answer in the squares that start at its number, one letter in each square.

This grid is wider than a phone screen, so it scrolls sideways. It prints whole.

Tap a square, and its clue shows here.

Across

Down

Word bank

  • Bell
  • Carousel
  • Corn dog
  • Crowd
  • Ferris wheel
  • Hot dog
  • Lemonade
  • Mask
  • Prize
  • Ring toss
  • Soda
  • Swings

Type in a square and the next one takes over. Tap the same square again, or press Space, to switch between Across and Down. Arrow keys move around the grid, Enter goes to the next clue, and a clue takes you to its squares.

Print gives 2 pages on Letter or A4: the puzzle with its clues, then the answer key. The squares print 8 mm wide. For a PDF, choose Save as PDF in the print window.

A share link holds the puzzle number and these settings, nothing you typed.

Answer key: Carnival Crossword

1CROWD2MAA3RINGTOSSOKU4C5BSO6LE7FERRISWHEELLNMLDOO8SWING9S10HOTDOGAODD11PRIZEA

Across 1 CROWD · 3 RINGTOSS · 7 FERRISWHEEL · 8 SWINGS · 10 HOTDOG · 11 PRIZE

Down 1 CAROUSEL · 2 MASK · 4 CORNDOG · 5 BELL · 6 LEMONADE · 9 SODA

Next step Color the circus by numberFind carnival words in a word search

All 157 clues

Show all clues and answers

Rides 31

  • Bounce "___ house": inflated room for jumping
  • Brake Device that slows a ride to a stop
  • Buckle To fasten a safety belt
  • Bumper "___ cars": small electric cars that drivers crash into one another on purpose
  • Carousel Turning ride of painted horses that rise and fall as an organ plays
  • Climb Slow trip up before the big fall
  • Coaster "Roller ___": string of cars that speeds over steep hills and tight turns
  • Dizzy How you feel after too many turns
  • Ferris wheel Giant upright ride that lifts people high in hanging seats
  • Flume "Log ___": boat ride that ends in a soaking
  • Funhouse Building to walk through, full of surprises: shaky floors, air jets, bent mirrors
  • Gondola Hanging cabin that carries riders around a giant upright ride
  • Height How tall you are; a sign at many rides says how much you need
  • Loop Circle of rail that sends cars and riders head over heels
  • Maze Confusing network of paths to find your way through
  • Mirror A curved one makes you look tall, short or wide
  • Operator Worker who starts and stops a ride
  • Plunge Sudden steep fall that makes riders shriek
  • Pony Small horse that carries children around a ring
  • Queue Line of people waiting their turn
  • Scream Loud cry that riders let out on the steepest hill
  • Seat Where a rider sits
  • Slide Long smooth slope to ride down, sitting on a mat
  • Spin To go around fast, like a top
  • Splash Burst of water that soaks riders at the end of a boat ride
  • Swings Chairs hung from a turning top that carry riders around through the air
  • Teacups Ride of cup-shaped cars that twirl on a turning floor
  • Thrill Sudden wave of excitement that makes you tingle
  • Track Rails that the cars of a ride run on
  • Train Ride of small linked cars pulled by an engine
  • Whirl To turn around very fast

Midway Games 34

  • Aim To point carefully before throwing
  • Arcade Hall of coin-operated games
  • Balloon Bright bag of air on a string; a dart pops it
  • Barker Person who calls out to passersby to draw them in
  • Basket Container that balls are tossed into
  • Bean bag Small cloth pouch of dried beans for tossing
  • Bell It rings at the top of the pole when the hammer blow is hard enough
  • Bingo Game of numbered cards and a caller
  • Booth Small covered stand where a game is played or tickets are sold
  • Bottles "Milk ___": knock down a stack of them with one ball
  • Bullseye Very center of the rings on a dartboard
  • Cakewalk Game in which walkers circle numbered squares while a tune plays and one takes home a cake
  • Chance The odds; how likely something is to happen
  • Contest Event in which people compete
  • Darts Small pointed missiles thrown to pop balloons
  • Duck "___ pond": pick a floating toy bird and read the number underneath
  • Dunk tank Tub of water that a brave helper falls into when a ball hits the trigger
  • Fishing "___ game": hook a floating toy with a small pole
  • Guess To give an answer without knowing for sure, as with the number of jelly beans in a jar
  • Hoop Ring that a basketball must drop through
  • Luck What you need when skill cannot help
  • Mallet Long-handled wooden hammer for the strength tester
  • Midway Part of a fair where the games, rides and sideshows are set up
  • Plush Soft fabric of stuffed toy prizes
  • Prize What the best player takes home
  • Raffle Drawing in which numbered tickets are sold and a lucky one is picked
  • Ribbon A blue one goes to first place
  • Ring toss Game of throwing hoops over pegs or bottle necks
  • Score Running total of points
  • Squirt To shoot out a thin, fast stream of water
  • Target The thing a player tries to hit
  • Teddy bear Cuddly stuffed toy, a favorite thing to carry home from the games
  • Token Coin-shaped piece that works the machines instead of money
  • Trophy Shiny cup awarded to a champion

Carnival Food 32

  • Caramel "___ apple": fruit on a stick coated in chewy golden candy
  • Churro Long ridged fritter, crisp outside, dusted with cinnamon sugar
  • Corn dog Frankfurter on a stick in a fried cornmeal coat
  • Cotton candy Fluffy spun sugar on a paper cone
  • Elephant ear Name at fairs for a wide, flat piece of fried dough
  • Fries Strips of potato cooked in hot oil
  • Fudge Thick, creamy candy sold by the block, often chocolate
  • Funnel cake Lacy fried cake made by pouring batter through a spout, topped with powdered sugar
  • Hot dog Frankfurter in a bun
  • Ice cream Frozen dessert served in a cone or a cup
  • Ketchup Red sauce squeezed from a bottle onto a bun
  • Kettle "___ corn": popped kernels cooked sweet and salty in a big iron pot
  • Lemonade Sweet-and-sour yellow drink over ice
  • Lollipop Sucker: sweet on the end of a little stick
  • Mustard Yellow sauce squeezed on a sausage in a bun
  • Nachos Tortilla chips topped with melted cheese
  • Napkin Square of paper that comes with sticky treats
  • Peanuts Roasted in the shell and sold by the bag
  • Pizza Cheesy pie sold by the slice
  • Popcorn Puffed corn sold warm by the bag or the bucket
  • Pretzel Knot-shaped baked treat, soft or crunchy, sprinkled with salt
  • Slush Icy, half-frozen fruit drink
  • Snack Light bite to eat
  • Snow cone Paper cup of crushed ice with sweet flavoring poured over
  • Soda Sweet fizzy drink
  • Sprinkles Tiny colored candy bits scattered on a frozen dessert
  • Sundae Dish of scoops with toppings and a cherry
  • Syrup Sticky sweet liquid, such as the kind poured on crushed ice
  • Taffy Chewy pulled candy, often wrapped in wax paper
  • Turkey "___ leg": big smoked drumstick eaten by hand
  • Vendor Seller with a cart or a stand
  • Waffle Crisp cake with a grid pattern; rolled up, it holds a scoop

Shows and Acts 34

  • Acrobat Performer of flips, handstands and tumbling
  • Applause Hand clapping at the end of an act
  • Audience The watchers and listeners at a show
  • Banner Long strip of cloth with a message, hung up high
  • Big top The largest canvas shelter of a circus, where the main acts perform
  • Bow Bend at the waist to thank the people clapping
  • Calliope Musical instrument that plays tunes on steam whistles
  • Clown Performer with a painted face, a red nose and oversized shoes
  • Confetti Paper snow thrown at a celebration
  • Costume Special outfit worn by a performer
  • Drum A roll on this instrument builds suspense before a daring feat
  • Encore Extra performance that listeners call for at the end
  • Fireworks Booming bursts of colored light that end a big night
  • Float Decorated platform pulled through a procession
  • Juggler Entertainer who throws and catches three or more things without a miss
  • Magician Entertainer who makes things vanish and reappear
  • Mask It hides the face, or turns it into a tiger's
  • Mime Silent actor who uses only gestures
  • Parade Line of marchers, music and decorated wagons moving through town
  • Puppet Doll that a hidden person brings to life
  • Rabbit Long-eared animal pulled from a hat in a classic act
  • Ringmaster Person in a top hat who announces the acts
  • Sequins Sparkly spangles that make an outfit glitter
  • Spotlight Bright circle of light that follows the star
  • Stage Raised floor for performers
  • Stilts Pair of tall poles with footrests for walking high above the ground
  • Stunt Daring feat done to amaze watchers
  • Tent Canvas roof on poles; a show may be held under a big one
  • Tightrope High stretched wire that a performer walks across
  • Trapeze Short bar on two ropes that a flyer hangs from high in the air
  • Trick Clever act meant to puzzle or entertain
  • Tumble To roll and flip across a mat
  • Unicycle Cycle with a single wheel
  • Wand Slender rod that a conjurer waves

Around the Fairground 26

  • Admission Cost of entry
  • Amusement "___ park": permanent home of rides
  • Coins Round metal money
  • County "___ fair": yearly event for one part of a state, with animals, rides and contests
  • Crowd Throng; lots of people packed together
  • Entrance Way in
  • Evening Time of day when the bulbs come on
  • Excited Thrilled; hardly able to wait
  • Exit Way out
  • Fairground Open land where a fair is set up
  • Festival Time of celebration with special events
  • Flags Bright pieces of cloth that flutter on poles overhead
  • Fundraiser Event held to collect money for a cause
  • Gate Hinged barrier in a fence where visitors come in
  • Laughter Sound of people enjoying themselves
  • Lights Colored bulbs make the rides glow with them after dark
  • Photo Picture snapped to remember the day
  • Poster Big printed notice that tells of a coming event
  • Sawdust Fine wood dust spread on the ground of a show ring
  • Sideshow Small extra show beside the main attraction
  • Souvenir Something taken home as a reminder of the day
  • Stall Small open-fronted shop
  • Summer Warm season, a favorite time for outdoor fairs
  • Ticket Paper pass; tear one off for each ride
  • Volunteer Person who helps without pay, as at a school fair
  • Wristband Strip worn on the arm that means unlimited rides

How this list was compiled: Clues written for this site: rides, midway games, fair food, show acts and words from around the fairground. Each answer and its meaning was checked in Wiktionary (en.wiktionary.org) and, for all but Funnel cake and Dunk tank, in the American Heritage Dictionary (ahdictionary.com); the rides, foods and acts, those two among them, were read in English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA 4.0), in October 2026. No ride maker, show, park or brand is named. Licence: own work

How it works

These carnival theme crossword puzzles, free printable with a word bank, are vocabulary crosswords for a school carnival, a fair week or a party table. The page opens on Easy Carnival Words, the set with Pony, Prize, Clown and Popcorn.

Read the full guide

Five carnival sets

Rides has Carousel, Gondola and Teacups. Midway Games has Ring toss, Bullseye and Cakewalk. Carnival Food has Funnel cake, Churro and Kettle. Shows and Acts has Juggler, Trapeze and Calliope. Around the Fairground has Wristband, Sawdust and Souvenir.

Two-word answers, and no brand names

Ferris wheel, Ring toss, Funnel cake and Snow cone go in the grid with no space between the words. No ride maker, show, park or snack brand is named.

  • For a school carnival booth, print Midway Games and hand a ticket to each child who finishes.

Questions and answers

Are these carnival crossword puzzles for kids?

Yes. Easy Carnival Words suits about grades 2 and 3. The five themed sets, with words such as Calliope, Trapeze and Admission, suit grades 3 to 6. These bands are our judgment, not a published standard.

Are the carnival theme crossword puzzles free to print?

Yes, with nothing to sign up for. Print as many copies as the party needs, on Letter or A4.

Do the carnival crossword puzzles come with an answer key?

Yes. The filled-in grid prints last, with each answer listed by its number, so one sheet can stay with whoever runs the booth.

More tools

Show 7 more

Browse Puzzles