In the Triangle Sums Puzzle, you are challenged to arrange the numbers 1 to 9 in the squares so that the sum of the numbers in each pair of squares is the same as the number in the triangle that touches both squares in the pair. You may only put one number in each square, …
Number Puzzles
This In a Row Puzzle challenges students to arrange the digits 1 through 9 in such a way that four statements regarding the sum of various subsets of the row are true. The numbers 1 and 2 and all the digits between them add up to 9. The numbers 2 and 3 and all the …
I am really intrigued by these square sudoku puzzles from Erich Friedman. Place 16 digits in each 4 x 4 array so that every row and column contains the same 4 digits in a different order. Each rectangular box should contain the digits of a perfect square when read across or down. Need help remembering …
In this Magic Square 15 Puzzle, your task is to arrange the numbers 1 through 9 in the grid so that the numbers in each row, column, and main diagonal sum to 15. I’ve typed up so many different puzzles for my classroom over the years, but somehow I’ve managed to overlook including a basic …
Looking for a challenge? Check out this page of Make It Pythagorean Puzzles. Insert the same digit (in any manner of your choosing) to each side of the triangle to form a right triangle. I ran across these interesting puzzles in Golf on the Moon by Dick Hess (Dover Publications).
Here’s a third hidden equation puzzle from Erich Friedman. Circle one symbol in each column so that a true equation results reading from left to right. I love to use these hidden equation puzzles with dry erase pockets in my classroom. If you don’t have a classroom set of dry erase pockets, you could also …
While looking through a textbook, I ran across this fun set of measurement puzzlers. They strongly rely on a knowledge of metric prefixes and a love of puns. I think they could be a fun addition to a math or science class! Quite a few people joined in the fun when I shared a photo …
In this Make Six Puzzle, you are given eight equations. You must insert mathematical symbols (no digits) to make each equation equal six. If you are wondering what mathematical symbols you are allowed to use, that is up to you!
It’s been almost two years since I last shared a hidden equation puzzle with you. These hidden equation puzzles are the product of Erich Friedman, a math professor and prolific puzzle creator. You can read more about Hidden Equation Puzzle 1 here. I was introduced to these hidden equation puzzles through Puzzle Box, Volume 2. …
I’ve got a new sequence puzzle to share with my students when we get back from Spring Break. This puzzle asks “What is the next number in the sequence?” This puzzle is commonly known as the “See and Say Sequence,” “Look and Say Sequence,” or “Count and Say Sequence.” I intentionally made my question poster …
Today I’m sharing two mathematical puzzles with you that Ivan Moscovich calls Pattern 15 and Pattern 30. Earlier this school year, I browsed a bunch of puzzle books looking for puzzles to post in my classroom that didn’t involve manipulating pieces. This was weird for me because I was intentionally trying to avoid the exact …
Today I’m sharing the Sum to Twenty-One Puzzle with you. Previously, I have shared similar puzzles called Sum to Twenty and Sum to Thirty. These puzzles are the creation of Marcy Cook. They were shared in THINK ABOUT IT! Mathematics Problems of the Day which was published by Creative Publications in 1982. The book is …
Today I want to share a new puzzle I’ve been playing with for the last few days: Naoki Inaba‘s Number Ball Puzzles. The other day, I set out to try to bring some semblance of order to my puzzles folder on my laptop. This is the place on my computer where I keep PDFs of …
The 9-10-11-12 Challenge is actually four puzzles in one. Can you arrange the numbers 1 through 6 in the spaces of the triangular shape below so that each side sums to 9? Repeat the challenge for sums of 10, 11, and 12. I learned of this challenge from a collection of brainteasers that is no …
Hidato Puzzles have been one of my go-to puzzles in my file cabinet of puzzles for several years now. I have had great success with getting students interested in these puzzles who haven’t been interested in other logic puzzles like Sudoku or KenKen. Somehow, these puzzles have never made an appearance on my blog. Today, …
I first ran across Erich Friedman’s Plus Times Puzzles back in 2019. I have featured several of Erich’s puzzles on my blog before including Arrows Puzzle, Ducks and Snakes Puzzle, Equation Rotation Puzzle, Connect the Dots, and Hidden Equation. I was super excited when I discovered that he has an entire page of puzzles online …
This Three Numbers Puzzle comes from THINK ABOUT IT! Mathematics Problems of the Day by Marcy Cook. Previously, I have shared the Sum to Twenty Puzzle and the Sum to Thirty Puzzle from this same book. In the three numbers puzzle, it is your task to use the numbers 0-9 once each (you will have …
This equation puzzle has been sitting in folder of puzzles to print/share since 2018. I’ve decided to make “FINISH” my 2021 word of the year. It may still be 2020, but I’m determined to get a jumpstart on finishing off this list of things I’ve meant to blog about for ages. In this equation puzzle, …
I’ve been doing lots of blog reorganization lately which also happens to coincide with organizing some files on my computer and in my classroom. This has led me to discover a pile of puzzles that I created several years ago but have never got around to using with students or sharing here on my blog. …
I’m back today with a fun, new puzzle called The Splice is Right Puzzle. This puzzle is from the book Test Your Math IQ by Steve Ryan. I was able to borrow the book for free from the Internet Archive’s online lending library. I highly recommend this site for checking out various books before you …
I’m back today with a free download of a new puzzle called Up to Specs. The Up to Specs Puzzle is found in Test Your Math IQ by Steve Ryan. I was able to borrow the book for free from the Internet Archive’s online lending library. I highly recommend this site for checking out various …
This Equation Rotation Puzzle post has been in the works for quite a long time. I ran across this puzzle several years ago in Puzzle Box Volume 2, one of three amazing volumes of puzzles put together by the Grabarchuk family. I can’t say enough good things about these books. If you take a look …
I’m back today with a new puzzle, Tic Tac Total. This puzzle, unlike the Pair Ups Puzzle I shared recently, can easily be applied to the distance learning classroom. It’s from the same excellent book Test Your Math IQ by Steve Ryan. I was able to borrow the book for free from the Internet Archive’s …
I’m excited to share the Only Takes and Adds Puzzle with you today. I did a lot of thinking this summer about how I wanted to incorporate puzzles into my classroom this year. Over the last few years, puzzles are one of the things I’ve become known for sharing on my blog. Hello, I have an …
Today I’m excited to share the 20 x 9 Challenge with you and your students. Last summer, I picked up a copy of Pierre Berloquin’s 100 Numerical Games at Goodwill for a couple of dollars. It’s turned out to be a good investment because it has served as inspiration for several fun classroom challenges. Want to …