Pips Puzzle
This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
I ran across this Pips Puzzle in The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Puzzles by The Diagram Group. The goal is to arrange the ace to nine of hearts so that the pips in each row – horizontal, vertical and diagonal – add up to 15.
This puzzle is really just a magic square, but I like that the puzzle is presented without that terminology since my students are master googlers.
In fact, I’ve shared this exact puzzle before under the name Magic Square 15.
You could definitely use cards from an actual deck of cards for this puzzle, but I just printed some playing card clipart on Astrobrights paper and laminated it to create the cards for students to use.
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 printed the puzzle board on 11 x 17 cardstock. I printed the playing cards on colored, letter-sized paper which I then laminated. If you don’t have the ability to print on this size of paper, I have also uploaded a letter-sized version.
Free Download of Pips Puzzle
Click here to Download
Pips Puzzle Board (PDF)
4252 downloads – 67.01 KB
Pips Playing Cards (PDF)
3407 downloads – 27.32 KB
Click here to Download
Pips Puzzle (Editable Publisher Files ZIP)
1793 downloads – 99.10 KB
Pips Puzzle – Letter Sized Version (PDF – ZIP)
2078 downloads – 55.14 KB
Want more puzzles? Check out 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!
