Why these puzzles
Bright children often need puzzles that make them genuinely stuck, so they practise persistence and strategy, not just speed. Every puzzle here goes up to a Demon level.
Tips
- Start them on Pro or Hacker, not Beginner.
- Ask them to beat the fewest-moves count where it’s shown.
- Hard puzzles are where persistence is learned. Resist rescuing.
The puzzles, starting on Hacker
- Hakoiri Musume (ages 6+): Japan’s classic sliding-block puzzle: slide the big block out of the box. Builds planning ahead and logical reasoning.
- Number Slide (ages 6+): Slide the wooden tiles until the numbers are back in order. Builds planning ahead and logical reasoning.
- Puzzle Box (ages 6+): A Japanese secret box. Slide the hidden panels in the right order to open it. Builds logical reasoning and persistence.
- Road Slide (ages 6+): Slide the road tiles until the arrows join into one road. Builds planning ahead and logical reasoning.
- Sudoku (ages 6+): Fill the grid so every row, column and box has each number once. Builds logical reasoning and number sense.
- Tower of Hanoi (ages 6+): Move the tower to the last peg. A big ring never sits on a small one. Builds planning ahead and logical reasoning.
- Bridges (ages 7+): Join every island with bridges. Each island’s number is how many it needs. Builds logical reasoning and planning ahead.
- Eight Logs (ages 7+): Fit every log in the box. Two half-cut ends can share one spot. Builds spatial reasoning and logical reasoning.
- Luban Lock (ages 7+): Take the wooden lock apart. Only one piece can move at a time. Builds spatial reasoning and planning ahead.
- Nonogram (ages 7+): Use the number clues to fill the right squares and reveal a picture. Builds logical reasoning and number sense.
- Number Frame (ages 7+): Fit the frame pieces and number tiles so 1 to 9 read in order. Builds spatial reasoning and planning ahead.
- Peg Solitaire (ages 7+): Jump pegs over each other until only one is left. Builds logical reasoning and planning ahead.
- Six Bottles (ages 7+): Fill every bottle. All the pieces come from one pile. Builds spatial reasoning and planning ahead.
- Sokoban (ages 7+): Push every crate onto its spot. You can push, but never pull. Builds planning ahead and logical reasoning.
Questions parents ask
Are these hard enough for a gifted child?
Demon levels include the full Hakoiri Musume, 7-ring Tower of Hanoi, 9 × 9 sliding puzzles and the Luban magic ball.
Are these puzzles free?
Every puzzle is free to try in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads.
More
Puzzles for 3 Year Olds · Puzzles for 4 Year Olds · Puzzles for 5 Year Olds · Puzzles for Kindergarten · Logic Puzzles for Homeschool · Puzzles for the Classroom · Quiet Puzzles for Kids on a Plane or Long Trip
