Puzzle games are fun for all ages, and they can be a great way for families to share a few moments together, or perhaps keep siblings and cousins occupied at family gatherings. Add some creative thinking to the mix and you’ve got a classic! In fact, tangrams have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.

If I’m being completely honest, this simple game has always been difficult for me to grasp, and yet, I’ve seen young children excel at it. Get your kids thinking and creating, and hopefully they’ll have better luck than I do!

• Printable Tangrams Puzzle Game template (download here)
• Magnet strips or printable magnet paper

Print the tangram squares on card stock or magnet paper, then cut them apart. Print the puzzle designs and answer key on regular paper or card stock.

If you’re not using magnet paper, you can add strips of magnet to the back of the pieces, and use them on your refrigerator or a magnet board. But they’re just as fun when you use them without magnets.

To play, choose a puzzle design and try to figure out how to arrange the tangram pieces to form the design. Sometimes it’s trickier than you’d think! If you get stuck, check the answer key.

Try out the different puzzles, working together, or on your own. After you’ve finished the designs in the download, search online for more (there are HUNDREDS!), or create your own!

Traditionally, tangrams is played with only the seven shapes that make up the original large square, however, it’s lots of fun to combine several sets and use them for making other designs. You don’t even have to make them fit like puzzles. Think of them as flat building blocks!

Happy crafting!