Step up your next math class kicking off the lesson with a fun puzzle. Beginning with a math puzzle will engage your students with a good warm-up to ensure they are prepared for the upcoming lesson. Your learners can work independently, in small groups, or as a class to solve these math puzzles. We’ve rounded up 50 of the most challenging math puzzles that we’re sure your middle school students will love. Have a look and see which ones you could try out in your class!
1. Numbers in a Triangle
Working with the numbers 1 to 9 only, your kiddies will need to manipulate these numbers to ensure that the sum of numbers on every side of the triangle is the same. Your learners might need to give this puzzle a couple of tries!
Learn More: Homeschool Math
2. Minesweeper
This minesweeper game is the perfect example of a puzzle that will strengthen your learners’ problem-solving skills. You can print off copies for them to work with or they can work on laptops. They’ll love this fun and interactive problem-solving game!
Learn More: Puzzle Madness
3. Sudoku
Sudoku is a classic math puzzle that will work on your students’ critical thinking skills. It’s a great option for your class because you’ll never run out of puzzles, and allows them to work on basic math skills with numbers 1-9.
Learn More: Web Sudoku
4. Salamander Line Up
This seemingly impossible logic puzzle is ideal for your middle school-aged students and will have them hooked! Print this worksheet out and have them cut and paste the salamanders or you go through it together on your SMARTBoard. Can they figure out the correct layout?
Learn More: Math Salamanders
5. Pattern Puzzle
This task is perfect to assign as an independent activity for your fast finishers to work on if they’ve completed all of the assigned work from your most recent lesson. Can they figure out the link between the numbers in the puzzle?
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6. Newton’s Cross
Give your class a mental workout with this Newton’s cross puzzle! Using the given numbers, this activity asks your kiddos to work through a cross-shaped grid puzzle. With more than one puzzle on each page, this is sure to keep them busy and they’ll love comparing their answers!!
Learn More: Math Salamanders
7. Math Puzzle Book
A physical puzzle book can be a super resource to have on hand in your classroom. You can easily photocopy pages from the book to give your kiddos without the hassle of hoping your computer manages to send a downloaded document to the printer! Books such as this one contain lots of math puzzles that will help your class with a range of math topics.
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8. What is the Weight?
These puzzles are sure to challenge every single one of your kiddos. They’ll enjoy attempting to solve these adorable math puzzles that cover a range of topics. With over 100 different puzzles, this is the perfect resource for some math starters!
Learn More: Mental UP
9. Math Equation Crossword Puzzle
A spin on the traditional crossword, this math-based puzzle asks your learners to solve math equations to complete the puzzle! They’ll love the chance to work independently or in groups on this task.
Learn More: Education World
10. Colorku
If you’re looking for a math-themed puzzle without numbers, check out Colorku puzzles. These puzzles get your kids to focus on strengthening critical skills such as analyzing, sequencing, and reasoning, all of which will help them to better understand math lessons. This hands-on, visual puzzle is an amazing way to use concrete materials for older kids!
Learn More: Color Ku
11. Expanded Form Puzzle
This type of puzzle adapts well to work with middle school learners if they’re struggling with place value and decimals. Print out these bright and colorful templates or create your own and have them expand the given numbers by piecing together the puzzle.
Learn More: You’ve Got This Math
12. Solve the Addition Equations
Build on your middle school students’ foundation of skills by having them solve these shape addition puzzles. These types of puzzles encourage them to problem-solve as they try to work out what the value of each shape is in the equation to work out the answer. You could even have them come up with their own versions!
Learn More: Mom Junction
13. Popsicle Stick Puzzles
Create these fun popsicle stick puzzles for your class or let them design their own! Using easily accessible and versatile materials, these puzzles are completely customizable and can cater to the different levels of learning in your classroom. Grab some markers and get started!
Learn More: Play Ideas
14. Solvemoji
Speak in a language your kiddies understand with this fun emoji algebra puzzle! This fun way to gamify your next math lesson will be sure to have them hooked and understand more complex aspects in no time!
Learn More: Solvemoji
15. Playing Card Puzzle
Can your kiddos solve this playing card brain teaser? Get them working in groups and give them some playing card printouts to organize as directed so that all lines have exactly 15 hearts in them. To make it a whole-class endeavor, you could print big versions and have them on your wall or board.
Learn More: Math = Love
16. Solve Me Mobiles
This website has many different mobile puzzles for your kids to work on. While creating balanced equations to keep the mobiles level, they’ll be engaged by bright colors and interesting shapes. They’ll love the chance to take their math learning online with this fun game!
Learn More: Solve Me Mobiles
17. Find the Correct Timing
Kids love a chance to play games on their devices during school hours. Why not make it a win-win and set them up with this math problem-solving game? Your kiddos will use their logical reasoning skills to solve this math puzzle of boiling an egg for the correct amount of time! With ten levels, this will keep them going for hours!
Learn More: Transum
18. How Many Squares?
It’s all about patterns next! Have your middle schoolers hunt for squares and see how many sets of 4 dots they can join to make as many as they can. Children of all ages will love this puzzle!
Learn More: Transum
19. Tangram Puzzles
This excellent digital resource tests your students’ spatial reasoning skills! They’ll work with the pieces on the website by manipulating them as needed to recreate the image shown. Can they work through each of the different 25 different puzzles?
Learn More: Math Playground
20. Subtraction Number Puzzle
This type of number puzzle helps your kids to improve their subtraction skills. Your class will attempt to solve the equation and fill in the question mark answer. Why not print and laminate this page to make an excellent addition to your math center?
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21. Fruit Algebra
There are multiple visual components to this puzzle making it a great choice for your middle school class! Your kiddies will need to really think each part of this puzzle through to fully solve the equation. This puzzle makes for a great starter activity to warm up your learners’ for your main lesson!
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22. Logic Puzzles
Logic puzzles are a fun way to help your students sharpen their critical thinking and reasoning skills. Using logic, they’ll determine which items can be eliminated or positively identified. They can then use these clues to figure out the information needed to match up all of the labels and categories!
Learn More: Cognitive Cardio Math
23. Trominoes
This puzzle requires two players! Challenge your kiddos to use their critical thinking skills to place 3-square shapes on the game board. Each player uses a different color and the one who is able to place the last shape on the board wins the game.
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24. Cereal Factoring
Mathematical concepts like factoring can be difficult for some of your students to grasp. This fun, hands-on practice is an effective way to get them thinking and visualizing factoring! All you need to do is provide the printed worksheets and some breakfast cereal.
Learn More: Scaffolded Math
25. Linear Equation Puzzles
Make a game of solving mathematical equations! As your kids practice solving linear equations, they can use this puzzle to match up the equation with the answer. This printable resource comes complete with a recording sheet for them to show their work. Practical and fun!
Learn More: Math Geek Mama
26. Digital Escape Room
Your kiddos will have tons of fun solving these equations as they try to make it out of the “escape room”! There’s even the option to make it more difficult to advance through each level so that they can practice different concepts from various lessons.
Learn More: Scaffolded Math
27. Tarsia Puzzles
It’s alive! Bring some spooky fun to math around Halloween! These puzzles are perfect for your middle school students to practice some of their operational concepts like multiplication facts. They’ll need to solve the equations and then match the tiles up at the same time to reveal this well-known character!
Learn More: Hojo’s Teaching Adventures
28. Factoring Match Up
Challenge your learners to become masters of factoring! Have them match up the broken-down elements with each factoring equation. This puzzle is a great activity for different ability levels as you’ll be giving them the answers and they’ll just need to decide where they fit.
Learn More: Mr. Williams Maths
29. Squares, Square Roots, and Cubes
Thinking through cubes, squares, and square roots can be quite a task! This active learning project is a fun puzzle that your students can use to get some practice with solving these problems! This printable puzzle is perfect to send home as homework or as a fast-finishing task for kids who race through their classwork!
Learn More: Worksheet Fun
30. Geometric Task Cards
These task cards are a great collaborative activity for your kiddos! They are geometry-based and give them practice with coordinates, turns, and angles. They’ll have the opportunity to solve so many different problems and really get to grips with these concepts in this challenging activity.
Learn More: Mrs. E Teaches Math
31. Geometric Transformation Pennant
Each member of your class will have a vital piece of the puzzle with this fun math puzzle. On each pennant, they’ll have the chance to write in coordinates and translate that into their own shape. Hang all the finished products up in your room to form a cute math-themed banner!
Learn More: Mrs. E Teaches Math
32. Guess Who?
Turn the classic game of “Guess Who?” into a fun math puzzle! As your kids work to solve equations, match tables with graphs, and use integers, they can keep a recording sheet to show their work. They’ll eliminate answers until they find the correct one that matches their selected card. Who knew math could be this fun?!
Learn More: Occasionally Elementary
33. Two-Step Equation Dominoes
This fun math puzzle is the perfect practice for solving two-step equations. First, have your students solve the equations and then they’ll be able to match up all the dominoes. Remind them to start at the top starting point so they can be sure the paper dominoes all go to their correct place!
Learn More: Math in Demand
34. Secret Code
Secret code puzzles are always a fun treat! Have your learners put on their detective hats and solve the equations to reveal letters that correspond to the answers. As they fill in the answers, they can match up the letters and spell out a secret message!
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35. Addition Squares
These math puzzles challenge your kiddos to not only practice their addition skills but also to work on problem-solving! They’ll need to check their work carefully as they add in missing numbers, making sure that the numbers line up correctly in the boxes to give the answer at the end.
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36. Fraction Operations Puzzle
These fraction puzzles are ideal for getting your kids to work together! As they solve fractions, they will color the pieces and place them together to form a picture. These puzzles will see them work on their communication, collaboration, cooperation, creativity, and math skills all in one go!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
37. Integer Maze
Can your kiddos find their way out of this integer maze? They’ll need to work methodically to solve each equation and follow the correct answer to the next problem until they make it to the end. Why not let them solve these with a partner and have them check each other’s work?
Learn More: Mr. R’s World Of Math
38. Order of Operations Game
This activity could be a puzzle or a game, depending on how you use it. Provide your students with some strips of paper with numbers written on them. Next, it’s over to them to determine which operation signs go where in order to solve the equations correctly.
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39. Order of Operations Task Cards
Task cards are a super resource to keep in your classroom and make for great puzzles. They can be used in a large group activity, small group projects, or even independently. Have your kiddies use a recording sheet to track their answers as they practice using the order of operations to solve each task.
Learn More: The Curriculum Corner
40. Exponent Mystery Picture
This challenging yet fun mystery picture puzzle gives your students a chance to practice with exponents. As they solve the equations, they’ll use the color guide to color in each square to reveal the hidden picture! They’ll love the chance to get coloring in the name of math!
Learn More: Make Sense Of Math
41. How Many Do You See?
This challenging puzzle is a fun activity that can quickly become competitive! Task your students with counting the number of squares; simple, right? Wrong! They might find that each time they count, they realize they’ve missed some! At the end, have your students write down their final answers and share them out loud!
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42. Kenken Puzzle
This math puzzle is a bit more challenging but we’re sure your learners will love it! They’ll need to use critical thinking skills and knowledge of basic logic puzzles to fill in the squares of this puzzle that has them calling on all their mathematical operations skills! This is a great activity for group work in your classroom as they get to grips with this tricky puzzle.
Learn More: Prodigy
43. Digital Area and Perimeter Challenge
Perimeter and area are concepts that can be sticking points for some learners. With this digital puzzle challenge, they’ll gain plenty of practice in calculating area and perimeter as they work to solve problems and match up the pieces of each puzzle. They’ll be mastering these essential topics in no time at all!
Learn More: Teach Starter
44. Fraction/Percentage Triangles
The dreaded decimals and percentages topics; these concepts can be really challenging for your learners! These simple fraction puzzles are a super way to turn this scary concept into a game as they work to match up the decimals, fractions, and percentages! For an added challenge, you could even create a word problem to go with each puzzle.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
45. Solve It Maze
Get creative with algebra by incorporating this mathematical maze puzzle! As your learners solve each equation, they’ll move through the maze until they reach the end. This is a super fun way to have them practice their algebra and will be a welcome change from writing out rows of equations in their workbooks!
Learn More: My Math Resources
46. Real-Life Percentages Paper Chain
One completely essential mathematical skill that is often overlooked and underappreciated is personal finance. Using this math chain, your students must solve percentages in real-life scenarios. They’ll work out percentages in everyday situations like tipping or working out discounted sale prices!
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47. Order of Operations Matching Puzzles
As your kiddos progress into higher mathematics, they must be familiar with the order of operations. These easy-to-make math puzzles are good practice for this skill! As they solve one piece of the puzzle, they must find the matching piece that has the answer.
Learn More: Math Geek Mama
48. Hex It Out Puzzles
These puzzles are a great way for your kiddies to practice multiplication skills. They’ll need to think beyond just the numerical answer and must also arrange the cards so that the equivalent multiplications match up. This puzzle grows larger and larger as they make more matches!
Learn More: Teaching With Jillian Starr
49. Adding Integers Matho Game
Negative numbers can be intimidating for some learners, as they usually have a little less practice with them. Matho makes this concept a little less scary and a little more fun! You can call out calculations and if your kids have the answer on their card they can mark it off. The winner is the first one to have a full row or a full house!
Learn More: My Math Resources
50. Math Sort
A math sort is a great way to practice recently covered skills with your class! You can create cards that reflect your class’ current skills and let them decide how they should be sorted into true and false columns. These mini-puzzles are an excellent way to consolidate learning!
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Potential And Kinetic Energy Activities For Middle School: Experiments, DIYs, Model Building, And Observation