Tricky Triangles Puzzle
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This tricky triangles puzzle has been around for over a century – can you arrange these eight sticks to form exactly four triangles and two squares?
The original puzzle was meant to be solved with matchsticks, but I don’t think I need to explain why I won’t be giving my students matchsticks to play with… Instead, I cut up some strips of cardstock for students to use.
I placed the cardstock “sticks” in one of my magnetic pockets I bought this summer for my classroom. They are coming in so handy for putting up puzzles in my classroom as well as organizing activities that have multiple levels/stages.
I originally ran across this puzzle in The 2nd Mammoth Book of Fun & Games by Richard B Manchester. But, a bit of googling revealed this is an old puzzle since the same puzzle can be found in a 1917 issue of Boys Life Magazine.
When I put up this tricky triangles puzzle a few weeks ago, I did discover one down-side to using strips of cardstock instead of the originally intended matchsticks. One of my students found an unintended solution. I told him it wasn’t the intended solution, but I gave him definite points for creativity!
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Tricky Triangles Puzzle (PDF)
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Looking for more free 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!
Thank you so much!