*** FIND PUZZLE TUTORIALS HERE ***
PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES
PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES – These puzzles must be solved in sequential order. The solution to the first puzzle is needed in order to solve the next puzzle, and this continues with each successive puzzle. Read more about these here. (TPT-$2)
Back-to-School / October / New Year’s / St. Patrick’s Day / April Fool’s Day / Last Days of School / December Progressive Puzzle – Who Got Which Gift?
MINI-MYSTERY PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES – Students solve four puzzles in sequential order to “crack the case.” #1 Prize in the Purloined Purse / #2 Ransomed Ruby in the Ratatouille / #3 “Vengeance for Victims of a Valentine Vandal”
EDUTAINMENT PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES – In order to solve the first puzzle, students must investigate the topic a bit. What they learn allows them to continue to solve the remaining puzzles in sequential order. A fun way to sneak in novel topics or to introduce a mini-unit. NASA’s Artemis / Mysteries of the Deep Sea
MATH and LOGIC PROGRESSIVE PUZZLE ~ these puzzles require both computation and divergent and critical thinking! Figuring with Fibonacci / Dabbling with Dice –
HEXAGONAL SUDOKU PUZZLES
HEXAGONAL SUDOKU (FREE)– These are modeled after Snowflake Sudoku and provide a unique challenge for Sudoku lovers! Find a tutorial HERE.
Snowflake / Valentine / St. Patrick’s Day / Spring Daisy/ Pumpkin Hex-Doku / Holiday Tree Hex-Doku / Any Bunny for Hex-Doku? / Back-to-School Hex-Doku
STRATEGY and LOGIC PUZZLES / GAMES
| The Critical Thinking Company will send up to four FREE SAMPLE PUZZLES to your inbox each week (grade levels preK through 8th grade). Sign up HERE |
ONLINE BRAIN TEASERS, MIND GAMES, PUZZLES, OPTICAL ILLUSIONS, and more! ~ many links!
MORE ONLINE BRAIN GAMES, OPTICAL ILLUSIONS, and RIDDLES – thanks to Lily and Mrs. Gianakas of Knox County, Maine for this one!
BRAINBASHERS – Daily puzzles (over 2 dozen!) include Daily Futoshiki and Daily Hitori! Puzzle tutorials can be found at the link above.
DAILY WORD GAMES for SCHOLARLY KIDS – links and descriptions for Unolingo, Daily Jumble, Up and Down Words, and 7 Little Words
KRAZYDAD PUZZLES (puzzles for younger students can be found here). Tutorials for some puzzles here and here.
MATH AND LOGIC PUZZLES (Math is Fun)
CRITICAL THINKING COMPANY’S ONLINE PLAYROOM (Subscribe to get a free Puzzle of the Week sent to your email. These are samples of their puzzle and problem-solving books)
LOGIC GRID PUZZLES (online)
LOGIC EQUATIONS PUZZLES (video tutorial for students here)
ZEBRA PUZZLES – online logic puzzles
WHICH ONE DOESN’T BELONG (read this blog post and build a WODT bulletin board!)
COMBINATION LOCK PUZZLES (math / number sense)
SET GAME (online) SET GAME (cards) / SET CARD GAME (online)
TRIADS (similar to SET)
MATHLER – like Wordle but involves guessing numbers and operations
OODLE – also a bit like Wordle but with numbers
NERDLE – another math Wordle / CREATE YOUR OWN / INSTANT NERDLE
SUDOKU / HASHI and HITORI / KAKURO and FUTOSHIKI / KYUDOKU (tutorials included)
PICO, FERMI, BAGELS(similar to Mastermind and Aces, Jumble Zilch in PETS™ program
GENIUS SQUARE (hands-on) ~ ~ STEM Puzzle Game of the Year
SOLVE ME PUZZLES (mobiles)
SOLVE ME ~ WHO AM I? (guess the number)
COLORKU (hands-on; Sudoku with colors)
MASTERMIND FOR KIDS ~ hands-on game
STR8TS PUZZLES ~ Sudoku with a twist! These are challenging!
MATH RIDDLES (49 riddles -upper elem./secondary) More available HERE.
STAR BATTLE PUZZLES – Printable and online versions by Krazydad
THE PROBLEM OF THE TWO DOORS ~ A RIDDLE
CHOCOLATE FIX (hands-on)
HUNDRED BOARD LOGIC PROBLEMS ~ Guess the Number (PDF)
PUZZLE CHOICE ~ a variety of wordplay, logic, and number puzzles
SOLVING FUN – hands-on puzzles focused on perseverance and creative problem solving and links to video lessons and social-emotional learning aspects of puzzle-solving (see Resources for Parents and this blog post for more info.) Free weekly puzzles (“Puzzle of the Week) offered.
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WORD GAMES / LEARNING CHALLENGES
WORDLE FOR KIDS ~ you can adjust the number of letters in the WORDLE from 3 to 11 letters!
SPELLIE – another version of WORDLE for kids
CRYPT-O-WORDS – advanced vocabulary “caught” not taught- through puzzles / more HERE
BROKEN WORDS and, for more challenge, CRYPTIC BROKEN WORDS (preview puzzles- some might include content unfamiliar to students.
VISUAL-SPATIAL / LATERAL THINKING PUZZLES
CLICK HERE FOR MORE VISUAL-SPATIAL and LATERAL THINKING PUZZLES
MATCHSTICK PUZZLES, REBUS (word picture) PUZZLES, SHAPE PUZZLES
KANOODLE (hands-on)- has also been known as Lonpos
RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC JAM PUZZLE (hands-on) [If you know of a safe free version, please share link HERE]
SCRAMBLE SQUARES PUZZLE (hands-on)
TANGOES – ANIMALS – tangram cards