Sudoku4 × 4 and 6 × 6
Sudoku for kids
Small sudoku grids that use only the numbers 1 to 4 or 1 to 6, so children can learn the rules without a 9 × 9 board. It suits families and teachers introducing logic puzzles to young solvers.
- Fresh problems every time
- Answer key on its own page
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
The rules of sudoku are short, and the small grids let a child practice them in a few minutes. No arithmetic is used. The numbers act as labels, so it is a puzzle about where things go.
What prints
The sheet opens on a 6 × 6 grid and is titled "Easy Sudoku 6 × 6". The line below it asks for the numbers 1 to 6 in the blanks, once each per row, column and 2 × 3 box. On this grid the boxes are two squares tall and three wide, shown with thick lines. Four puzzles fill the page, each labeled Puzzle 1 to Puzzle 4. Printed clues are bold, and the answers are on a second page in color.
Switch the grid to 4 × 4 and the numbers are 1 to 4, the boxes are 2 × 2, and the title becomes "Easy Sudoku 4 × 4".
The settings
- Grid: the page starts on 6 × 6, with 4 × 4 for the youngest and 9 × 9 for later.
- Difficulty: Easy is chosen to begin.
- Puzzles per page: four, though 1, 2 or 6 can be chosen.
How many clues
On Easy, the target is about 8 given numbers on a 4 × 4 grid (16 squares) and about 18 on a 6 × 6 grid (36 squares). Medium goes to about 6 and 14, and Hard to about 5 and 12. The generator takes numbers out in random order and puts one back if the puzzle would then have two solutions, so you may see a clue or two more than the target.
Teaching tips
Show the rule on a 4 × 4 grid first. Ask the child to find the row with the most numbers already in it and name the one missing. Then ask which number in a column cannot go in a certain square and why. Saying the reasoning out loud is the skill; the grid is a vehicle for it.
Use pencils, and let children erase freely. Let them know there is always exactly one answer, so if two squares want the same number, something earlier was wrong. For young children, cut the four-up page into quarters so each puzzle is a separate small task.
Worked example: a classroom center
Ms. Reyes sets the page to 4 × 4, Easy, with 4 puzzles. She prints it on one sheet, cuts it in quarters, and laminates the four pieces so students can use dry-erase markers. At the center a pair of second graders pick a card. One says the top-left box needs a 3 because the other three squares in the row already hold 1, 4 and 2. They finish in six minutes, then try the 6 × 6 page and discuss why boxes there are not square.
Next puzzle
When a child can finish the 6 × 6 grids without help, easy sudoku has the full 9 × 9 board. For a different challenge, try the easy mazes page.
Sources
- NRICH, University of Cambridge: Sudoku-style puzzles nrich.maths.org