Grade 3

Five in a Row Grid Game (Gomoku-Style)

A 15 by 15 grid for five in a row, the paper-and-pencil strategy game known in Japan as gomoku. Players take turns drawing X and O, and the first to make an unbroken line of five wins. It looks like tic tac toe, but the big board makes it a real strategy game for third graders, teens and grown-ups; a game takes about 15 minutes.

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Size: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), fits A4
PDF: Vector, prints razor-sharp at any size
Level: Grade 3
License: Free for personal & classroom use

Find it in:Free Printable Paper Games for Kids

About this game

A 15 by 15 grid for five in a row, the paper-and-pencil strategy game known in Japan as gomoku. Players take turns drawing X and O, and the first to make an unbroken line of five wins. It looks like tic tac toe, but the big board makes it a real strategy game for third graders, teens and grown-ups; a game takes about 15 minutes. Third graders and up, about ages 8 and older, get a real strategy game out of it, and grown-ups enjoy it too.

Tips for using it

Give each player a different colored pencil: it is easy to see who drew which line or letter, and nobody argues.
Keep a folder with a few sheets of each game in the car or the diaper bag for waiting rooms and restaurants.
Slide a sheet into a clear page protector and use a dry-erase marker to play the same board again and again.
Let the younger child go first; in dots and boxes and tic tac toe the first move is a small advantage.

Printing tips

Download the PDF and print at 100% (or “fit to page” on A4). It is a vector file, so the lines stay sharp on any printer. This page is free for personal, family and classroom use.