Brain games and puzzles
Maze Maker
Design your own maze on squared paper with one true path and lots of dead ends, then swap with a friend.
Thinking sheet · Brain games and puzzles
Sprouts
A two-player pencil game: join dots with curvy lines, add a new dot each turn and don’t get stuck.
- Grades
- 2–5
- Time
- about 15 minutes
- Kids practice
- strategy, following rules, topology (in kid terms)
What kids do
“Join two dots with a line and add a new dot on it. The last player who can move wins!”
- Game 1 (three starting dots)
- Game 2 (four starting dots)
- Rules in my words: lines can’t cross, a dot can only have three lines…
How to run it
- Rule 1: join two dots (or a dot to itself) with a line.
- Rule 2: put a new dot in the middle of your line. No crossing lines; three lines per dot.
- Play twice and talk about winning moves.
Talk about it
- When did you know who would win?
- How many moves did the game last?
- Did more dots make it longer?
Take it further
Teach the game to someone at home.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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