Kids and adults love puzzles! They present a challenge we can’t resist. Almost every elementary classroom has at least a few puzzles reserved for quiet time, indoor recess, or early finishers’ choice.  

When it comes to logic puzzles, students’ first encounter is usually part of a few math lessons during the year.  However, the benefits of working with puzzles point to using them more often and across the curriculum. And for you, too!

Kids and adults love puzzles! They present a challenge we can’t resist. Almost every elementary classroom has at least a few puzzles reserved for quiet time, indoor recess, or early finishers’ choice.  

When it comes to logic puzzles, students’ first encounter is usually part of a few math lessons during the year.  However, the benefits of working with puzzles point to using them more often and across the curriculum. And for you, too!

Exercise Your Brain!

Your brain has two halves. The left side of your brain controls your analytical and logical-thinking self, but the right side is all about creativity. When you work on puzzles, though, both sides of your brain have to engage in solving the problem.  It’s a pretty vigorous exercise for the gray cells! Using logic puzzles throughout the student’s academic career strengthens and expands physical, emotional, and cognitive skills for life.

Puzzle Power Lift

Early elementary teachers know that solving part-whole puzzles build gross motor, fine motor, and spatial skills, but did you know that all puzzles develop a host of other outstanding skills?

They strengthen short-term memory. All puzzles challenge us to think differently and develop new strategies for problem-solving. Using puzzles as a vital part of the school day will increase memory and concentration.

Logic Puzzles

Logic puzzles engage parts of the brain we rarely use in everyday life. This type of puzzle encourages systemic thinking. Students (and adults) who engage in logic puzzles have to make sense of clues that may not be in order. 

Logic puzzles rely on elimination and inference to solve the puzzle.  Students must put their deductive strategies to use. Discussing the puzzle can lead to developing new strategies as students help each other solve the logic puzzle.

Types of Logic Puzzles

Logic puzzles are not limited to the typical grid style. There are a variety of different options out there to explore. Syllogism logic puzzles have a list of statements and you must determine what is true. Nonograms use numerical clues on a grid that will produce a picture when solved. The tried and true Crossing the River is a form of logic puzzle as you figure out how a group crosses a river. Tour puzzles place an object in the center of a grid. Students must follow arrow clues to get the object out of the grid and back again. These are just a few examples. Check these and others out at https://brilliant.org/wiki/logical-puzzles/#tour-puzzles.

Conclusion

Puzzles are more than just a rainy day activity for your classroom. We should especially be using logic puzzles across the content, not just in math. Using logic puzzles often builds deductive and analytical skills. Logic puzzles develop step-by-step thinking skills, improve concentration, and use both sides of the brain. Logic puzzles help students build self-confidence in their ability to solve a challenging puzzle.  

The Practical Science Teachers are building sets of logic puzzles based on NGSS topic bundles to get you started.  We’ve created Science Logic Puzzles for 3rd grade but will be making sets for other grade levels over the next month.  Please visit our store at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/3rd-Grade-Science-Logic-Puzzles-6764478.  The puzzles can be downloaded and printed, or used digitally.  Enjoy!