Numberlink
Join each pair of matching numbers with paths that never cross.
- Ages 5–8
- Path planning
- Spatial reasoning
Sudoku for Kids
Sudoku for kids is a puzzle where every row and column holds each shape or number once. Start with 3×3 shapes, then try 4×4 and 6×6 numbers. Free for ages 4 to 8.
🎉 You solved it!
How to play
Start with 3×3 shapes, then try 4×4 and 6×6 numbers. Free for ages 4 to 8.
- Choose a puzzle: Shapes 3×3, Numbers 4×4 or Numbers 6×6.
- Tap an empty square. Squares with a grey background are already filled in and stay put.
- Pick a shape or a number from the row under the board. It drops into the square.
- Every row and every column needs each shape or number exactly once. In the 4×4 and 6×6 puzzles, each box with a thick border needs each one once too.
- Stuck? Press Hint, Undo a step, or use Check my work to see which squares need another look.
- Fill the whole grid with no repeats and the puzzle is solved. Then try the next one.
Hint never fills a square for you. It outlines where to look first, and a second press says what fits. Check my work only marks squares that need another look.
What children learn
- Logical thinking: working out what must go in a square because everything else is taken.
- Careful looking: scanning rows, columns and boxes for what is already there.
- Shapes and numbers 1 to 6: recognizing them and keeping track of which are used.
How to play sudoku for kids
In sudoku, every row and every column must hold each shape or number exactly once. In the 4×4 and 6×6 number puzzles, every box must hold each number once too.
The boards
- Shapes 3×3 has three shapes. Each row and column needs all three. There are no boxes.
- Numbers 4×4 uses 1 to 4. The grid has four boxes of 2×2 squares, and each needs 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- Numbers 6×6 uses 1 to 6. The grid has six boxes, each 2 squares tall and 3 wide, and each needs 1 to 6. This board also lets you write small notes in a square.
Solving tips
- Start with a square whose row, column and box already hold most of the numbers. Only one may fit.
- Look at one number at a time, for example every 3 on the board, and see where it can still go.
- If you get stuck, press Hint. It shows where to look and never fills a square for you.
More games
Tangram Workshop
Fill each picture with shapes: turn them, flip them, make them fit.
- Ages 4–8
- Composing shapes
- Turning and flipping
Questions about Sudoku for Kids
Is sudoku good for kids?
Yes, in small sizes. A 3×3 or 4×4 grid asks a child to look, rule things out and keep one rule in mind. Many teachers use small grids for logical thinking practice. It is a puzzle, not a replacement for arithmetic: the numbers act as labels, and no adding is needed.
What age is sudoku for kids good for?
The 3×3 shape puzzles suit children from about age 4 who can match and compare shapes. The 4×4 number puzzles suit ages 5 to 7. The 6×6 puzzles suit ages 6 to 8, or younger children who enjoy puzzles.
How do you solve a 4×4 sudoku?
Each row, each column and each 2×2 box must hold 1, 2, 3 and 4 once. Start with a square where only one number fits: look at its row, column and box, and see which three numbers are missing from them. Fill that in, then look again, because every new number makes the next one easier.
Do kids need to know math to play?
No. Sudoku uses numbers as symbols, so a child only needs to recognize them. That is why this page also has a shapes version, which needs no number knowledge at all.
Does every puzzle have only one answer?
Yes. Every puzzle here has exactly one solution, so a child can always work it out by reasoning, without guessing.