Winter word search

Bundle up. The winter theme covers snow in all its forms (snowflake, snowdrift, slush, blizzard), the cold-weather clothes that come out of the closet (parka, mittens, earmuffs, snowsuit) and the fun of the season: sledding, skating, a snow angel, a snow day and a mug of cocoa by the fire. Animals that sleep through the cold give us hibernate and hibernation.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice, around December 21, is the shortest day of the year. Snowflakes grow as six-sided ice crystals, which is why so many of them have six arms. An igloo takes its name from the Inuit word for house, and the polar bear only looks white: its fur is see-through and its skin is black.

A winter puzzle is a cozy indoor activity for snow days, holiday breaks and indoor recess. The daily puzzle picks the winter theme on some days from December to February, and the related Christmas and weather themes share a few of its words.

Play tip: this list is rich in doubled letters: the GG in TOBOGGAN, the DD in SLEDDING, the FF in EARMUFFS, the TT in MITTENS and the OO in IGLOO and WOOL. Scan for two identical letters side by side; in a grid of random letters they stand out.