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This summer I typed up this Fitting Shapes Puzzle. Can you fit the six shapes into the board without overlap?
I found this puzzle in The Big Book of Brain Games by Ivan Moscovich.
This book seriously weighs several pounds, and it has 1000 puzzles in it. Several blog readers have shared with me that they have been able to pick a used copy up on Amazon for super cheap recently.
I printed the pieces out on colored paper and laminated everything to make it extra durable.
MATH = LOVE RECOMMENDS…
A laminator is a MUST-HAVE for me as a math teacher! I spent my first six years as a teacher at a school with a broken laminator, so I had to find a way to laminate things myself.
I’ve had several laminators over the years. I currently use a Scotch laminator at home and a Swingline laminator at school.
I highly recommend splurging a bit on the actual laminator and buying the cheapest laminating pouches you can find!
This Fitting Shapes Puzzle made its debut this week on the Puzzle Table – not in my classroom but in my husband‘s classroom. After years of marriage, I’ve finally convinced Shaun he needs to use puzzles in his classroom.
And, I know this fact will make you all super jealous, he didn’t have to print or laminate a single thing. I loaned him a stack of puzzles from my personal collection!
Free Download of Fitting Shapes Puzzle
Fitting Shapes Puzzle (PDF) (7115 downloads )
Fitting Shapes Puzzle (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (1934 downloads )
Want 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.
Mrs. Romero
Thursday 28th of October 2021
Hi Sarah. I am a bit confused on the directions. Are they suppose to make a rectangle with the shapes without overlapping. If not, they just place it inside without overlapping? Do you have an example?
Sarah Carter
Friday 29th of October 2021
Emailed you!
Carrie Sanal
Saturday 18th of September 2021
Do you have an answer key for the Fitting Shapes puzzle? The goal is not to cover all of the squares, right? Just to get all of the shapes inside the large square without any overlap?
Sarah Carter
Tuesday 21st of September 2021
You are correct. The goal is to just get all of the shapes inside without overlapping. Some of the squares will remain uncovered.
DUDLEY JONES
Saturday 21st of August 2021
Just bought The Big Book of Brain Games by Ivan Moscovich on Amazon, thanks for link.
Sarah Carter
Saturday 21st of August 2021
I hope you enjoy it! I highly recommend any of Ivan Moscovich's books!