Puzzles for Teachers
Browse an extensive collection of printable puzzles, brain teasers, mazes, crosswords, digital activities and a whole lot more to challenge your elementary 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 or sub binder!
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 favorites 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 up written clues and require students to fill in a grid with words that intersect with each other.
- 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 practice 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, colors, 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 mazes to teach math or crossword puzzles in your reading centers, 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
Thanksgiving Word Search
Stretch your upper elementary students’ vocabulary and reading skills with a delicious Thanksgiving word search.
- Free Plan
Alphabet Sounds Picture Puzzle
Dive into letter-sound correspondence with your students using this alphabet picture puzzle.
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving Puzzle Book - 3rd and 4th Grade
Have a blast completing the fun activities in this printable Thanksgiving puzzle book for 3rd grade and 4th graders.
- Free Plan
Math Mazes - Two-digit Addition
Practice adding two-digit numbers with this set of differentiated math mazes.
- Free Plan
Connect the Dots Printable Alphabet Worksheets
Use this set of 3 dot-to-dot worksheets to get your youngest students practicing their recognition of the alphabet.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Worksheets for 2nd Grade - Thanksgiving Math Mazes
Save the turkey and match numbers, words, and expanded forms of numbers with a fun set of printable 2nd-grade Thanksgiving Math maze worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving Math Mazes - Multiplication
Multiply single-digit numbers to help solve Thanksgiving problems with Math Mazes!
- Plus Plan
Tacky Christmas Sweater Problem Solving Activity
Build visual discrimination skills and focus on attention to detail with an Ugly Christmas sweater Problem Solving Activity.
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving Color by Code - Vowels
Use this color by vowel sound Thanksgiving worksheet as for a bit of Turkey Day fun in the classroom.
- Free Plan
Expanded Notation Puzzles - Decimals
Practice expanded notation using decimals and whole numbers with this set of 28 puzzle pieces.
- Free Plan
Personal Qualities Word Search
Explore different personal qualities with your students with this printable personal qualities word search.
- Free Plan
Math Mazes (Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages)
Determine equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages with this puzzling math maze.
- Free Plan
Mini-Mystery – Who Stole the Cookie?
A fun, logic puzzle activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
- Free Plan
Search and Find – Gingerbread House
Gingerbread house search and find activity.
- Free Plan
I Spy Oral Language Activity
Encourage the development of oral language with this fun "I Spy" activity.
- Plus Plan
Uppercase and Lowercase Letters Maze Worksheet Set
Help students learn to recognize both uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet with this fun set of maze worksheets.
- Free Plan
Empathy Word Search
Introduce or review vocabulary terms related to empathy with this free word search worksheet.
- Free Plan
Integer Number Sentences - Tarsia Puzzle
Practice solving addition and subtraction number sentences involving integers with a printable Tarsia puzzle!
- Plus Plan
One-Step Equations (Addition and Subtraction) – Math Mazes
Practice solving one-step equations with whole numbers, decimals, and mixed numbers while working through a set of 3 math mazes.
- Free Plan
Complex Dot-to-dot Worksheet – Ordering Fractions and Decimals (Cat)
Practice ordering fractions and decimals with this complex dot-to-dot worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Math Mazes (Multiplication and Division)
Solve these mazes by manipulating numbers using multiplication and division skills.
- Free Plan
Summer Paralympics Word Search - Upper Grades
Teach your students about the Paralympic Games with our summer sports word search for grades 3-6.
- Plus Plan
Secret Code Contractions Activity
Explore contractions and decode the secret code with this fun secret code activity.
- Plus Plan
Area Model Multiplication Small Group Activity
Review multiplication using the area model with this small group activity.
- Plus Plan
Christmas Activity Sheets Workbook
Have a blast completing the fun activities in this printable Christmas activity book for upper grades.
- Plus Plan
Candy Cane Activity - Double Digit Subtraction Tarsia Puzzle
Practice double-digit subtraction with regrouping with a Christmas candy cane activity.
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving Dot to Dot Worksheets
Practice counting up to 40 and create beautiful Thanksgiving art using a set of printable Thanksgiving Connect the Dots Printables.
- Plus Plan
Multiplication Array Puzzles
Guide your students to match arrays, multiplication facts and repeated addition sentences with this set of puzzles.
- Free Plan
Soil Vocabulary Word Search
Immerse your students in the subject-specific vocabulary related to soil with this word search perfect for elementary students.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Subtraction Within 100 - Puzzles
Practice a variety of subtraction strategies with a set of printable math puzzles.
- Plus Plan
Fact Family Mazes Differentiated Worksheet Set
Use this differentiated worksheet set to provide independent practice of fact family knowledge to solve multiplication expressions.
- Plus Plan
Decimals on Number Lines - Codebreaker Worksheets
Crack the number line code with worksheets practicing identification, addition, and subtraction of decimal numbers.