Cross Solitaire Puzzle

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Post Contents hide

1 Free Download of Cross Solitaire Puzzle

2 Puzzle Solutions

3 More Puzzles with Movable Pieces

Similar to the Pyramid Solitaire Puzzle I blogged about a few weeks ago, I found this Cross Solitaire Puzzle in The Diagram Group’s Little Giant Encyclopedia of Puzzles. The goal is to pace the 32 markers in a cross pattern with the middle square unoccupied.

Then, jump the markers horizontally and vertically so that a single marker remains in the center of the board.

I am using bingo chips for this puzzle, but you could use any type of chip/counter/coin or even dried beans. When I shared this puzzle on instagram, Try-Angle Math suggested using fruit loops or some other sort of cereal. I thought that was a super fun idea!

Each jump moves a marker over any adjacent marker into an empty space. Markers that have been jumped are removed from the board. Jumps may be horizontal or vertical, but never diagonal.

Free Download of Cross Solitaire Puzzle

Cross Solitaire (PDF) (2133 downloads )

Cross Solitaire (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (1243 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.