Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzles
Have some logic puzzle fun this Christmas season with these free printable Christmas tree shaped hidato puzzles!
For years, I have used hidato puzzles in my classroom, and they have always been a HUGE hit with students. I recently learned how to generate shaped hidato puzzles, and my first thought was Christmas tree shaped puzzles. So, here we are.
Are you really surprised, though? I’m the same person who also just made Christmas Tree Addition Puzzles, Christmas Tree Integer Puzzles, and a Christmas Tree Square Edge Matching Puzzle. I’ve obviously got Christmas trees on my mind…
What are Hidato Puzzles?
Hidato Puzzles (or Hidoku Puzzles) are the creation of Dr. Gyora M. Benedek, an Israeli mathematician. The Hebrew word “hida” means riddle. In a hidato puzzle, you are given a grid with a selection of the numbers already filled in.
Your task is to fill in the missing numbers so that each number connects to the next number either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. 1 must connect to 2, 2 must connect to 3, and so on.
When I use Hidato Puzzles with students, I often have them draw in the lines between the numbers in order to help them check their solutions.
Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzle Instructions
Fill in the missing numbers in the tree-shaped grid so that each number connects to the next number either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
For these specific puzzles, students are arranging the numbers from 1 to 106 in the tree-shaped grid so that consecutive numbers touch either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
You could definitely think of this puzzle as making a “chain of numbers.”
Four Levels of Puzzles and Printing Options
These Christmas hidato puzzles are available to download in four different levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Challenging.
As the levels progress, you are given fewer and fewer numbers on the grid to begin with. This means that much more logic is required to solve the puzzle.
I used some of these today with my high school students, and most of my students chose to start with one of the Easy Puzzles because it looked quite intimidating to them.
These hidato puzzles are available to download as one single puzzle per page and four puzzles to a page. In the version with four puzzles to a page, all four puzzles on a single page are of the same level of difficulty.
Free Download of Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzles
Full Size Puzzles (1 to a Page) PDF
Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzles – 1 Puzzle Per Page (PDF) (0 downloads )
Small Puzzles (4 to a Page) PDF
Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzles – 4 Puzzles Per Page (PDF) (0 downloads )
Editable Powerpoint Files in ZIP Folder
Christmas Tree Hidato Puzzles – Editable Files (PPT in ZIP) (0 downloads )
Puzzle Solutions
I intentionally do not make answers to the printable math puzzles I share on my blog available online because I strive to provide learning experiences for my students that are non-google-able. I would like other teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms as well without the solutions being easily found on the Internet.
However, I do recognize that us teachers are busy people and sometimes need to quickly reference an answer key to see if a student has solved a puzzle correctly or to see if they have interpreted the instructions properly.
If you are a teacher who is using these puzzles in your classroom, please send me an email at sarah@mathequalslove.net with information about what you teach and where you teach. I will be happy to forward an answer key to you.
Not a teacher? Go ahead and send me an email as well. Just let me know what you are using the puzzles for. I am continually in awe of how many people are using these puzzles with scouting groups, with senior adults battling dementia, as fun activities in their workplace, or as a birthday party escape room.
