Matchstick Square Challenges
A free printable matchstick square challenges worksheet with an answer key. Hard square puzzles. Count every square, big and small, and leave no loose sticks. Great for 4th grade practice at home or in class.
- Size
- US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), fits A4
- 2 pages: the worksheet and its answer key
- Level
- Grade 4
- License
- Free for personal & classroom use
About this worksheet
A free printable matchstick square challenges worksheet with an answer key. Hard square puzzles. Count every square, big and small, and leave no loose sticks. It is built for fourth grade, around ages 9 to 10.
Answer key at a glance
1) Move 3 sticks to make 3 squares. One possible answer; 2) Move 2 sticks to make 3 squares. One possible answer; 3) Take away 3 sticks to leave 2 squares.; 4) Take away 3 sticks to leave 5 squares.; 5) Take away 4 sticks to leave 3 squares.; 6) Take away 4 sticks to leave 3 squares..
Tips for using it
- Read the equation out loud first and say what is wrong with it, like 'six plus two is not five'.
- Look at which digits can change with one stick: a 6 can become a 5, 8 or 9, and a minus can become a plus.
- Build the puzzle with toothpicks and test each idea with your hands before drawing the answer.
Printing tips
Download the PDF and print at 100% (or “fit to page” on A4). Page 1 is the worksheet and page 2 is the answer key with the answers in red; print just page 1 if you want to keep the answers for checking. The PNG shows page 1 only. Free for personal, family and classroom use.
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