Scramble Squares Puzzles

Simple Concept, Tricky Solution

Looking for a new challenge that will keep your kids (and you!) entertained? If you want to keep their minds sharp while away from school, check out these scramble square puzzles.

Each puzzle comes with nine square tiles, with half of four images printed along each edge. You combine all nine squares into a larger square, with each picture matching up along the inner lines between squares. It sounds easy, but can be remarkably challenging, even for adults.

These puzzles come in a huge variety of themes, from animals to sports to holidays. Pick one, or get a set of three, and let your kids loose. With no reading skills required, even young players can try and solve these tricky puzzles. The nine pieces store easily and compactly when not in use, and work great for entertainment at home or while traveling.

A lot of the challenge comes from trying different pieces in different locations, so it can be easy to lose track of which pieces you’ve already tried, especially with more complex images. If you want to make it easier, you can number the reverse side to help distinguish pieces from one another, and have kids work their way up to puzzles with no numbers to guide them.