Birds of Paradise Picture Sudoku Puzzles -

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With spring here and summer on its way, I’ve been making new picture Sudoku puzzles for our homeschool. And, I settled on some really colorful Birds of Paradise images to make the new puzzles.

Since my public school experience of math was dry, boring, and confusing (and I think I’m being generous with that description), I want something very different for my kids.

And, one way I seek out that different math experience is with things like puzzles, games, and hands-on math whenever possible. Also, I’ve always loved puzzles. And, since Sudoku is a logic puzzle it is great for stretching our brains in mathematical ways.

What is Picture Sudoku?

Picture Sudoku puzzles are perfect for young kids. They use images instead of numbers so it’s easy for them to understand how these puzzle boxes work. It gives them a gentle introduction to the thinking and reasoning strategies needed to be successful with Sudoku.

The grid I use is 4 2×2 boxes with 4 images to a box, row, or column, as opposed to the traditional 9×9 Sudoku puzzle boxes. Fewer and bigger boxes make this picture Sudoku a simple way to help kiddos grasp how the puzzle works. But, it’s still challenging enough to keep them interested. Plus, the colorful images make them more engaging.

I introduced my daughter to Sudoku back in December with my Christmas Picture Sudoku and then again in February with my Valentine’s Day Sudoku puzzles. And, she has really been getting the hang of Sudoku and enjoying it. So, with my latest puzzles, I chose the bird images specifically to increase the difficulty of a few of the puzzles for her.

In the first two puzzles, all of the birds have similar coloring and are just posed differently. And, of course, the same would be true for the black and white versions. So, she has to pay closer attention to notice the slight differences in each bird.

The two solid colored bird puzzles should be perfect for a complete introduction to the puzzles because your child just has to be able to group the sets of colors.

How to Start the Puzzle

To introduce children to Sudoku it is always good to give them a few simple strategies.

Try this process for introducing the puzzle to your child:

First, explain how the puzzle is organized into columns, rows, and boxes.
Then, have them try to find a column, row, or box with three pictures already in it. Like in the first picture below.
Explain that as they place the pieces they have to have eliminated all other possibilities for them to be sure that they are putting it in the right spot. Finding a space that can have only one option is the easiest way to know for sure.

If your child is struggling to understand how the puzzle works they may be confusing it with a different game.

When my daughter first started doing these puzzles she was trying to match the pieces like a memory game. So, to help her understand the concept, I pulled out one of each of the pictures in her puzzle and put them in a row. Like the picture above shows.

This helped her to see that she was creating a set, with each set containing one of each of the images with no repetition.

Strategies for Choosing Next Pieces

After your child understands how the puzzle works and you’ve given them some strategies, have them repeat the process until they finish the puzzle.

And, hopefully, they’ll misplace a piece or two.

When they do misplace a piece, try not to point it out. My daughter has had the best “ah-ha” moments from misplacing pieces and then realizing that something’s not right on her own.

Your child will realize they’ve made an error when they get to the end of the puzzle and the last pieces can’t go in the last spaces. And, they’ll have an opportunity to look back over the puzzle and find their mistake.

To help them locate the piece that’s been placed incorrectly ask them a few of the questions below.

Do any of the boxes have duplicate pieces?
Do any of the rows or columns have duplicate pieces?

Working through the frustration of mistakes is a great way to build confidence in their math skills. And, finally succeeding and finishing the puzzle will feel like more of an accomplishment to them.