Symmetric Square Puzzle
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Today I finally got around to taking down the last puzzle we tackled before Christmas Break. It is always my aim to switch out my puzzles on a weekly basis, but sometimes the hectic nature of the classroom prevails. This was a reminder that I haven’t shared this symmetric square puzzle here on the blog yet.
This Symmetric Square puzzle is from Robert Allen’s Mensa All-Color Puzzle Book. It’s an okay puzzle book for personal puzzling, but I struggled to find enough puzzles with classroom applications to really recommend it for teachers to purchase.
Students are given ten tiles which must be arranged in such a way that a square is formed in which each horizontal line matches up with a vertical line. You should notice quite quickly that this partial attempted solution does not work.
Only a day after I tweeted a picture of the puzzle on my dry erase board, Tracy Esposito was sending me pictures of student reflections after having her year 6 class tackle this puzzle. How awesome is that?!?
Free Download of Symmetric Square Puzzle
Symmetric Square Puzzle (PDF) (1076 downloads )
Symmetric Square Puzzle (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (833 downloads )
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.
More Puzzles with Movable Pieces
- Snowflake Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Christmas Fill-In Puzzle
- Kwanzaa Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Hanukkah Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Christmas Tree Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- 8 Queens Puzzle
- Pentominoes Truck Puzzle
- Hawai’i Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Pentominoes Parrot Puzzle
- Math Symbol Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Avoid Three Game (and Challenge Puzzle)
- Thanksgiving Square Edge Matching Puzzle
Your blog has inspired my teaching SO MUCH. I teach grade 7 in Vancouver BC. I hope you know how much we appreciate the effort you put into this blog. THANK YOU!
A little confused… The square piece has two 6s, and there is a 2×1 piece with a 0 & 9. Those are both obvious because they're underlined. Then there's a 3×1 piece that doesn't have any underlining, but based on the direction of the 5 it seems to read 5,8,6. Is the 6 not underlined on purpose, or just because it's unnecessary since the orientation of the 5 gives it away? Or are they supposed to struggle with if it's a 6 or 9?
That was just an oversight… It should be underlined.
Hi Sarah.
Thank you so much.
It's a great job you're doing here.