Equation Puzzle

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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, you must place the numbers 1-9 once each in the empty squares so that each horizontal and vertical equation is true.

I found this puzzle in The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Puzzles by The Diagram Group. You can check it out for free virtually from the Internet Archive’s Online Lending Library. This is a great way to see if a puzzle book actually has the types of puzzles that will interest you and your students.

This is the same puzzle book responsible for the Eight Lettered Squares Puzzle and the Playing Card Puzzle.

I printed off the equation puzzle and cards with the numbers 1-9 already printed on them to make this puzzle easier to solve for my students.

Free Download of Equation Puzzle

Equation Puzzle (PDF) (4551 downloads )

Equation Puzzle (WORD) (1320 downloads )

Want even more puzzles? Check out my puzzles page!

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.