Number Strips Puzzle
This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
The Number Strips Puzzle asks: Can you rearrange the order of the seven strips so that each row contains a correct mathematical statement? Note that the strips containing operators can be inverted if necessary.
I found this number strips puzzle in Ivan Moscovich’s The Big Book of Brain Games. This book weighs several pounds and is chock-full of SO many puzzles that can be used with students! Used copies are available from Amazon for relatively cheap.
I typed up the number and operation strips on two different colors of paper.
I printed them, laminated them, and attached disc magnets to the back of each piece. This way, students can move the pieces around on the dry erase board as they solve the puzzle.
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!
I use ceramic disc magnets with all of my puzzles that I buy in bulk from Amazon. They are reasonably priced and strong to hold things up without them sliding down the dry erase board.
I’m getting close to finishing up my 2nd box of 200 magnets, so to say that I love these magnets is an understatement.
These are the operator strips that can be inverted if necessary in order to solve the number strips puzzle.
Free Download of Number Strips Puzzle
Click here to Download
Number Strips – Instructions (PDF)
5778 downloads – 47.17 KB
Click here to Download
Number Strips – Strips (PDF)
6061 downloads – 24.53 KB
Click here to Download
Number Strips (Editable Publisher Files ZIP)
2376 downloads – 80.15 KB
If you like this puzzle, you might also be interested in the Equation Rotation Puzzle. You can find all of my free printable puzzles on my puzzles page!
Puzzle Solutions
Puzzle solutions are available on a password-protected solution page. I do not openly post the puzzle answer keys because one of my goals as a resource creator is to craft learning experiences for students that are non-google-able. I want teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms without the solutions being found easily on the Internet.
Please email me at sarah@mathequalslove.net for the password to the answer key database featuring all of my printable puzzles and math worksheets. I frequently have students emailing me for the answer key, so please specify in your email what school you teach at and what subjects you teach. If you do not provide these details, I will not be able to send you the password.
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, or as fun activities in their workplace. Just give me enough details so I know you are not a student looking for answers to the puzzle that was assigned as their homework!
Do you ever post or email the answers to your puzzles?
I do share the answers to puzzles via email to teachers. Please email me with information about where you teach. My email is mathequalslove(at)gmail(dot)com.