Two sizes
Start with 4×4 grids, which use the digits 1 to 4 and 2×2 boxes — most children manage them from about four or five. Move to 6×6 when those become quick: six digits and boxes three wide and two tall, which is a real step up without being the full game.
For a classroom
Four per page with 25 puzzles gives seven sheets and an answer page. Print the answers separately and keep them at the front of the room.
How to help without solving it for them
- Ask which number is missing from a row that already has three.
- Ask where a chosen number could go in one box — and where it cannot.
- Resist filling in a cell yourself. Point at the row and wait.
The same grids can be played on screen, with a hint button that explains each move in a sentence.
What children get out of it
A Sudoku grid gives a child a problem where every step can be justified and nothing depends on knowing a fact they have not been taught. There is no arithmetic, no reading, and no adult knowledge required — only the patience to look at a row and notice what is missing. Finishing one is a genuinely earned result, and children know the difference.
Making it last
- Print one sheet at a time rather than a pack — a full booklet can feel like homework.
- Let them use a pencil and rub things out; getting a cell wrong is part of it.
- Do the first puzzle together and the second one apart.
- Move up to 6×6 only when 4×4 grids are finished quickly and confidently.
Common questions
What age are these for?
The 4×4 grids suit ages four and up; 6×6 grids suit roughly six and up. Both use exactly the same rule as the adult game.
Can I print in black and white?
Yes — the grids are plain black on white with no colour or shading anywhere.
Are answers included?
Yes, on a numbered page at the end, which you can leave off by unticking the box.
My child gets stuck immediately — what should I do?
Point at a row with three numbers already in it and ask which one is missing. That single question is the whole game, and it usually unblocks a child within a minute.