Free · Ages 5 and up
Sudoku for kids
Small grids with the same rules as the real thing. A 4×4 uses the digits 1 to 4 and a 6×6 uses 1 to 6, so a child can finish one in a few minutes and still have solved a genuine Sudoku.
Start at 4×4
A 4×4 grid is divided into four 2×2 boxes, and every row, column and box holds the digits 1 to 4 exactly once. That is the whole rule, and it is the same rule a 9×9 board runs on. Nothing is simplified away — only the amount a child has to hold in mind at once.
Most children get the idea within one or two boards. The moment it clicks is usually the one where they realise a digit can be placed because of where it cannot go, which is the same insight every adult solver is using on an expert grid.
Then 6×6
A 6×6 uses 3×2 boxes and the digits 1 to 6. It is a real step up rather than a slightly bigger 4×4: the boxes are no longer square, so a child has to look at a wider rectangle when checking a box, and there is enough room for a digit to be blocked by two different constraints at once.
When 6×6 boards stop being a challenge, a full 9×9 on easy is the next step, and it will feel familiar rather than new.
Why Sudoku is worth the time
Sudoku has no arithmetic in it. The digits are just six or nine distinguishable symbols — you could play with colours or animals and nothing would change. What it actually exercises is systematic elimination: checking every possibility, ruling out the ones that break a rule, and being confident about what is left.
It is also self-marking. A child does not need an adult to tell them whether they were right, because a wrong digit shows up as a rule broken somewhere else on the grid. That makes it one of the few quiet activities where getting it wrong is instructive rather than discouraging.
Printing them
The mini grids print as well as they play — the printable page has a 4×4 and 6×6 option, four or six to a sheet, with the answers on a separate page so they can be handed out without them. That is usually what a classroom or a car journey wants.
Frequently asked questions
What age can children start Sudoku?
Most children can manage a 4×4 grid from around five, once they can recognise the digits 1 to 4 and hold a simple rule in mind. There is no arithmetic in Sudoku at all — the digits are just four distinguishable symbols, so counting ability is not the limit.
What is the difference between 4×4 and 6×6 Sudoku?
A 4×4 uses the digits 1 to 4 in four 2×2 boxes. A 6×6 uses 1 to 6 in 3×2 boxes, so the boxes are rectangles rather than squares and a child has to scan a wider shape when checking one. The rules are otherwise identical.
Is Sudoku good for children?
It exercises systematic elimination — checking each possibility, ruling out what breaks a rule, and being confident about what is left. It is also self-marking: a wrong digit shows up as a rule broken elsewhere, so a child does not need an adult to tell them whether they were right.
Can I print these puzzles?
Yes. The printable page has 4×4 and 6×6 options, four or six to a sheet, with the answers printed on a separate page so the puzzles can be handed out without them.
When is a child ready for a full 9×9 board?
When 6×6 grids stop being a challenge. The step up is a matter of scale rather than a new idea, so an easy 9×9 usually feels familiar rather than new — it just takes longer.
Keep reading
For the grown-ups
Action Sudoku is a free 1v1 multiplayer Sudoku game for iOS and Android — race a real opponent on the same board, or solve one together in co-op.