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
Word Ladder
Climb from one word to another by changing one letter at a time. CAT to DOG in three steps?
- Grades
- 2–5
- Time
- about 15 minutes
- Kids practice
- spelling, word families, problem solving
What kids do
“Change just one letter each step to climb the ladder!”
- CAT ➜ DOG (start at the bottom)
- Make your own ladder
- A word ladder for a friend: start word and end word
- Draw your start and end words
How to run it
- Each step must be a real word.
- Work backward from the end word if stuck.
- Short three-letter words are easiest.
Talk about it
- Did anyone find a different path?
- Which letter was hardest to change?
- Can you do it in fewer steps?
Take it further
Make a four-letter ladder: COLD ➜ WARM.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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