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
Tic-Tac-Draw
Tic-tac-toe with doodles instead of X and O. Each player picks a tiny picture as their mark.
- Grades
- K–5
- Time
- about 15 minutes
- Kids practice
- strategy, taking turns, quick drawing
What kids do
“Pick a tiny doodle for your mark. Three in a row wins!”
- Play three rounds
- My mark
- My partner’s mark
- A winning trick I learned:
How to run it
- Marks must take under five seconds to draw: a star, a fish, a smile.
- Switch who goes first each round.
- Talk about blocking moves.
Talk about it
- Is it better to go first?
- Where is the best first move?
- Can anyone always win?
Take it further
Invent a new rule, like “corners count double.”
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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Free for teachers
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