Zigzag Overlap Puzzle
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This Zigzag Overlap Puzzle was a fun addition to my puzzle of the week collection! The challenge is to arrange the eight strips into the five-by-five grid so that you will see the continuous black band running diagonally across the board as shown.
I found this zigzag overlap 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 highly recommend any puzzles from Ivan Moscovich!
Since I no longer have room in my classroom for a flat puzzle table, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to make this puzzle work. Then, I remembered I bought a set of magnetic pockets this summer. These magnetic pockets made it easy to put the puzzle up on the board, but students are still able to easily pull it down and work on it at their desks.
I printed an extra blank square for students to put their strips on top of while solving the puzzle. I was afraid that them put the strips on top of the original image that they would get confused and lose sight of what the goal of the puzzle was.
I really enjoyed working through this puzzle on my own before putting it out for students to work on.
I believe that there are numerous different ways to solve the puzzle, but don’t quote me on that!
Happy Puzzling!
Free Download of Zigzag Overlap Puzzle
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Zig Zag Overlap Puzzle (PDF)
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Zig Zag Overlap Puzzle (Editable Publisher File ZIP)
1588 downloads – 79.99 KB
Want more puzzles? Check out my puzzles page for more free printable puzzles!
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!
Enjoyed this activities
Johnny