I love math games that naturally bring out kids' mathematical reasoning. KenKen puzzles are perfect for this. As warm ups or early finisher activities, KenKen puzzles allow students to explore their number sense while also having fun. So without further ado, here is Alexander from KenKen with a guest post he so graciously wrote for us.
KenKen Puzzles Make Math Fun!
Students love KenKen and teachers do too. Why? Because KenKen puzzles are stimulating fun AND they help students improve their math and reasoning skills.
As students solve KenKen puzzles they develop self-confidence and perseverance for solving difficult problems, which often leads to a lasting interest in STEAM subjects. KenKen puzzles range from super easy to incredibly complex, so they are great for students of all ages and skill levels.
To solve a KenKen puzzle, a student must concentrate and apply critical thinking, arithmetic skills, and an understanding of number sense. As students continue solving more challenging puzzles these skills improve and they experience a sense of empowerment and joy.
The KenKen Classroom program is a free service for educators in which fresh puzzle sets are sent directly to your email inbox each week.
It is used by more than 30,000 teachers worldwide, many of whom utilize these puzzles on a regular basis. Educators use KenKen in a variety of ways, from warm up activities at the beginning of class, to classwork, group projects, extra credit, homework assignments, and even hosting KenKen tournaments.
There is no shortage of ways to use KenKen with your students, and almost certainly everyone will enjoy it. Some students say they don’t even realize they are learning because the puzzles are so fun, but they are most certainly using and improving many important math and reasoning skills when solving KenKen puzzles.
To learn more about the totally free KenKen Classroom program, please visit KenKenPuzzle.com/teachers.
Unlimited KenKen puzzles are available to play for free at KenKenPuzzle.com, and KenKen also publishes countless books and has free IOS and Android mobile apps so that the fun never ends!
HOW TO PLAY KENKEN:
Your goal is to fill in the whole grid with numbers, making sure no number is repeated in any row going across or column going down.
In a 4x4 puzzle, use the numbers 1-4. In a 5x5 puzzle, use the numbers 1-5, and so on. Find the target number and operation in the corner of each cage and apply your math and deductive reasoning skills to solve the puzzle. This video explains more:
KenKen champion Ellie Grueskin explains how to play a 3x3 KenKen puzzle in this Facebook video.
KENKEN IDEAS FROM TEACHERS:
"I have a stack that 7/8th gr students can draw from when they’ve finished their work. I gather them at the end of the week and announce a KenKen Queen or King. Good for logic/operations and they enjoy it." - Ms. Perry
"We use them as warm ups or play Noggle most days. I love them!" -Ms. Johnston
"Used these every week when I was teaching to help develop number sense. My teaching partner and I loved them." -Ms. Lawrence
VISIT KENKEN CLASSROOM
Unlimited free puzzles to play at KenKen.com
