Picture Sudoku for Kids: Printable 4x4 and 6x6 Puzzles
Updated November 2026 · 18 free printables
Picture sudoku puzzles for preschool, kindergarten and first grade: pictures take the place of numbers, so children who cannot read or write digits yet can still learn sudoku logic.
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About these printables
Each 4x4 page has a picture key at the top and four puzzles that grow from 4 to 7 empty squares; kids draw the missing pictures, color in a blob of the right color, or cut out and glue pieces on the cut-and-paste pages.
The sets are fruit, pets, bugs, vehicles, sweet treats and shapes, plus themed sets for Christmas, winter, Halloween, the ocean, the farm and outer space, and two bigger 6x6 picture puzzles (animals and Christmas) for children ready for six pictures. All pictures are printed in color and drawn simply, so a child can copy them in a few strokes.
At a glance
- Pages
- 18 free printables, one PDF each
- Ages
- 3 to 6
- Levels
- Easy, Pre-K
- Answer keys
- on page 2 of every PDF
- Paper
- US Letter and A4
- Complete pack
- all 18 pages in one PDF, free with an email sign-up
- Price
- free; every single page downloads with no sign-up
Picture Sudoku for Kids: Printable 4x4 and 6x6 Puzzles, One by One
A closer look at the pages that belong to this collection itself. The other pages in the gallery above are described on their own theme pages, linked from each card.
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1. Fruit Picture Sudoku for Preschool
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with apples, bananas, grapes and oranges instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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2. Pet Animals Picture Sudoku 4x4
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with cats, dogs, fish and bunnies instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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3. Shape Sudoku for Preschoolers
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with a red circle, a blue square, a green triangle and a yellow star instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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4. Bug Picture Sudoku for Kids
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with ladybugs, bees, butterflies and snails instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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5. Vehicle Picture Sudoku for Kids
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with cars, school buses, trains and airplanes instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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6. Sweet Treats Picture Sudoku
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with cupcakes, ice cream cones, donuts and lollipops instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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7. Winter Picture Sudoku for Kids
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with snowmen, mittens, sleds and penguins instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Write small pencil notes in the corners when two numbers could fit.
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8. Halloween Picture Sudoku for Kids
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with pumpkins, bats, friendly ghosts and witch hats instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Write small pencil notes in the corners when two numbers could fit.
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9. Ocean Animals Picture Sudoku
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with fish, crabs, octopuses and whales instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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10. Farm Animals Picture Sudoku
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with cows, pigs, sheep and chicks instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
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11. Space Picture Sudoku for Kids
Four 4x4 picture sudoku puzzles with rockets, moons, suns and ringed planets instead of numbers, for ages 4 to 6. A picture key at the top shows the four pictures; the child draws or colors the missing ones so each picture appears once in every row, column and 2x2 box. The puzzles get a little harder down the page, from 4 to 7 empty squares, and page 2 is the answer key with the filled squares in pink. It is made for ages 4 to 6: pictures or dots instead of written numbers, and big squares for small hands. Start with the row, column or box that has the most numbers filled in.
Tips for picture sudoku for kids: printable 4x4 and 6x6 puzzles
- Name the four pictures together before starting, and point at the key when a child gets stuck.
- Ask one question at a time: Which picture is missing in this row?
- Accept simple drawings: a red circle is a fine apple.
Fun math facts
- Picture sudoku uses exactly the same rules as number sudoku; only the symbols change.
- Spotting what is missing from a group is an early math skill teachers call visual discrimination.
Fun ways to use your printables
- Use real objects: four kinds of snacks or toys on a 4x4 grid drawn with tape on the table.
- Color the solved pictures, then cut the grid into a 16-piece puzzle.
- Draw a 4x4 picture sudoku for a grown-up to solve.
How to print
Click Download PDF and print at 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Page 1 is the worksheet and page 2 is the answer key, so choose “page 1” in the print dialog if you only want the practice page. Every worksheet is free for home, homeschool and classroom use, so print as many copies as you need.
Frequently asked questions
My child cannot draw the pictures yet. What can they do?
Let them draw a simple sign for each picture (a circle for the apple, a line for the banana), color a dot in the picture's main color, or point and tell you which picture goes there while you draw. The cut-and-paste pages need no drawing at all.
Which picture sudoku should we start with?
Shapes or fruit: the pictures are easy to tell apart and easy to draw. Puzzle 1 on every page has only four empty squares, one in each row, so a child can solve it by asking which picture is missing.
Can picture sudoku help with school skills?
Yes: it practices visual discrimination, scanning rows and columns, and step-by-step thinking, all useful for early reading and math. Talking through it (This row has a cat, a dog and a fish, so the bunny goes here) builds language too.