Square the Shapes Puzzle
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Can you place the provided shape pieces on the grid so each separate set of shapes forms a square.
I’m very excited about the Square the Shapes Puzzle (this week’s puzzle table selection) because it’s got some hidden mathematics involved in solving it that aren’t obvious at first glance.
I find that my students are less likely to tackle the puzzle on the puzzle table when the math connection is blatantly obvious.
Looking for more printable geometry puzzles for your classroom? Here’s just a few examples of other geometry puzzles I have shared!
Puzzle Source
This week’s puzzle is called “Square the Shapes.” It is found in The Big, Big, Big Book of Brainteasers by The Grabarchuk Family. Sadly, the book is now out of print and the copies on Amazon at the moment are more than a bit pricey.
Puzzle Instructions
The puzzle board contains a grid of dots and one of each of the shapes involved in the puzzle: square, triangle, circle, and pentagon.
You are given three additional circles, pentagons, triangles, and squares to place on the grid.
Your task is to place the additional shapes on the grid so that a square is formed by each separate set of shapes. So, the four squares will form a square. The four triangles will form a different square.
The four pentagons will form a third square. And, the four circles will form a fourth square. To further complicate things, each square that is formed must be a DIFFERENT size.
This requirement for each square to be a different size has proved a challenge for my students who have tackled this puzzle so far this week.
I had to give one student a quick reminder lesson about finding the length of the hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 triangle, so this puzzle is definitely more geared towards older students.
Free Download of Square the Shapes Puzzle
Interested in trying this square the shapes puzzle yourself or with your students? The puzzle board and puzzle pieces are both designed to print on letter-sized paper. The puzzle pieces actually print 4 sets to a page.
Click here to Download
Square the Shapes Puzzle Board (PDF)
2022 downloads – 89.82 KB
Click here to Download
Square the Shapes Puzzle Pieces (PDF)
1811 downloads – 32.83 KB
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!
Ww couldnt get 4 different sqaure shapes… Because you would need one shape on the outside right? None of the Students got this one.
I agree. Unless I am misunderstanding the question, one of the given shapes must be on an outside corner to form a 4 by 4 square.
its impossible
She gave the clue up above with the 45-45-90. A diagonal is longer than a side, try rotating one of the squares you made.