Puzzles for Teachers
Browse an extensive collection of printable puzzles, brain teasers, mazes, crosswords, digital activities and a whole lot more to challenge your primary students in fresh and fun ways!
This teaching resource collection is teacher-created, with curriculum-aligned and editable resources available for both lesson planning and adding to your fast finisher activity box!
Curious about using puzzles in your classroom or looking for fresh ideas? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
Types of Puzzles
There's a whole host of puzzles out there you can use to get your students more engaged in learning, develop problem-solving skills and reinforce the concepts you're teaching! Here are a few favourites from our teacher team (and you'll find printable versions of many of these in this collection)!
- Picture puzzles — Picture puzzles are a great teaching tool that require kids to use visual perception and problem-solving skills to identify patterns or differences in a set of pictures.
- Crossword puzzles — Often used by adults, these puzzles are kid-friendly too! They offer written clues and require students to fill in a grid with words that intersect.
- Tangram puzzles — These challenging puzzles for kids involve using a set of geometric shapes to create a larger picture or design.
- Logic puzzles — This learning tool requires kids to use reasoning and deduction to solve a problem. They usually involve a set of clues that need to be used to figure out the solution.
- Word searches — In this type of puzzle, a grid of letters is given with a list of words to find hidden within it. Students are challenged to go on the hunt for the word, often reading up, down, diagonally and sometimes even backward!
- Spot the difference — A popular feature in kids' magazines, these require our students to find the differences between two nearly identical pictures.
- Sequence puzzles — Sequence puzzles involve arranging a series of objects or symbols in a particular order, based on a set of rules or patterns. For example, students may practise skip counting as they place puzzle pieces in order based on the numbers displayed on each piece.
- Maze puzzles — Yes, mazes count as puzzles! They challenge kids to find their way through a maze to reach a goal or endpoint.
- Matching games — This is another type of puzzle you may not think of as a puzzle per se, but it is! Matching games involve finding pairs of matching items, such as shapes, colours, or numbers, in a set of cards or objects.
- Tarsia puzzles — Similar to jigsaw puzzles, tarsia puzzles are made up of irregularly shaped pieces that fit together in a specific way to form a larger picture or pattern. This type of puzzle has a twist, however! In a Tarsia puzzle, each piece contains a problem or question related to a particular topic or subject area. The students must match the pieces together by finding the correct answer or solution to each problem or question. Once all the pieces have been matched, they form a larger picture or pattern that provides a visual representation of the topic or concept being studied.
How Do You Use Puzzles in the Classroom?
Whether you're using tarsia puzzles to teach maths or crossword puzzles in your reading rotations, this is a versatile learning tool! Here are a few of the times they can come in handy:
- Introducing new concepts
- Reviewing concepts students have learned
- Reinforcing problem-solving skills
- Collaborative learning
- Learning through play
- Differentiated instruction
- Plus Plan
Long A Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long a’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Free Plan
Rounding Numbers – Maths Mazes
Round numbers to various places while finding your way through this set of 5 maths mazes.
- Free Plan
Mini-Mystery – Which Key Opens the Door?
Use knowledge of 2-D shapes and right angles to solve the mystery in this fun, logic-based activity.
- Plus Plan
Missing Addend Addition Picture Puzzle – Level 2
Consolidate students’ addition skills with this missing addends worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Number Matching Puzzle - Multiplication
A hands-on game to play when learning about multiplying numbers.
- Plus Plan
Australian Money Word Search with Solution
A word search to help your students to learn what the Australian currency looks like and their corresponding names.
- Plus Plan
Multiplying Decimals Maths Mazes
Complete decimal multiplication problems while finding your way through this set of three math mazes.
- Free Plan
Natural Resources Word Search
Review the different natural resources with a word search.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Multiplication Tarsia Puzzle - Basketball
Practise multiplying two-digit by two-digit numbers with a basketball-themed tarsia puzzle.
- Plus Plan
Long I Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long i’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Plus Plan
Long U Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long u’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Plus Plan
Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Fives (Turtle) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by fives.
- Free Plan
Heat Energy Word Search
Help students remember heat energy vocabulary with this word search.
- Plus Plan
Water Cycle Crossword Puzzle
Review water cycle vocabulary with a crossword puzzle.
- Free Plan
Prefix Puzzles - Match Up Cards
Practise building, reading, and understanding the meaning of words with prefixes with a fun set of prefix puzzles.
- Plus Plan
Fractions and Decimals Number Line Puzzles
Practise identifying fractions and decimals on a number line with this set of 2- and 3-piece puzzles.
- Plus Plan
Long OO Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long oo’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Plus Plan
Estimating Decimal Sum and Differences — Year 6 Maths Mazes
Year 6 students can practise estimating solutions to decimal addition and subtraction equations with this set of maths mazes.
- Free Plan
Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Twos (Car) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by twos.
- Plus Plan
Missing Addend Addition Picture Puzzle – Level 1
Build simple addition skills with this missing addends worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Organic Shape Search Worksheet
A fun art activity to explore organic shape.
- Plus Plan
Renewable Energy Word Search
Review science vocabulary terms with an engaging renewable energy word search.
- Plus Plan
Maths Mazes (Number Sequencing)
Skip count your way through these mazes that focus on number sequencing.
- Plus Plan
Mystery Pattern Grids (Addition)
Solve addition sums and interpret grid coordinates to reveal the picture.
- Plus Plan
Proper Nouns Crossword Puzzle - Worksheet
A crossword researching different proper nouns.
- Free Plan
Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Twos (Seahorses) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by twos.
- Plus Plan
Addition Riddle Worksheet - Skunk
A fun riddle to answer when completing addition questions.
- Plus Plan
Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 2 - Frog
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
- Plus Plan
Computer Word Search with Solution
A fun word search to help your students learn and work with computer related vocabulary.
- Plus Plan
10 More, 10 Less Differentiated Mazes
Delight your students with this maze challenge, to practise calculating 10 more or 10 less than a value within 120.
- Plus Plan
Prefix Puzzles - Literacy Centre
Grow your students’ vocabularies with prefix puzzles in your literacy centres.
- Plus Plan
Planet Puzzle Match-Up Activity
Use your knowledge of the solar system to complete 8 different planet puzzles.