A KenKen Puzzle is a kind of arithmetic and logic puzzle which somewhat resembles the sudoku puzzle. The object of the KenKen puzzle is to fill a grid with digits so that no digit in any row or column is the same. The numbers to put in a grid vary according to how many rows and columns there are. For example a 4x4 grid would have the numbers 1-4 to enter and a 7x7 grid would have the numbers 1-7 to be entered.
The KenKen puzzle was invented by a Japanese math teacher by the name of Tetsuya Miyamoto. Tetsuya Miyamoto came up with the KenKen puzzle in 2004 to help his students improve their skills in patience, calculation, and logical thinking. Tetsuya Miyamoto uses "teaching without teaching" in his classroom which seems to work because over 80% of his most recent students were accepted into the most prestigious middle schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area
You can find a free KenKen puzzle online at kenken.com. They also have a great tutorial on how to solve a KenKen puzzle at http://kenken.com/aboutus_play_tut.html.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Crossword Puzzles
The first published crossword puzzle was written for a New York newspaper called the New York World and was published on December 21, 1913. The crossword puzzle was written by Arthur Wynne who came to the United States from Liverpool, England.
Crossword puzzles are made up of black and white squares that usually form a square or resctangular grid. The purpose of the crossword puzzles is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases that make up an answer to a clue. The clues on crossword puzzles are referred to by numbers and a direction so you know where to start the answer. The black squares in crossword puzzles are used to seperate the words or phrases.
One fact I find interesting about crossword puzzles is that France banned the use of crossword puzzles during the second world war. France was afraid that messages could reach the enemy through the use of crossword puzzles.
Though most enjoy doing crossword puzzles with a pen and paper, there are places online where you can find crossword puzzles for free.
BestCrosswords.com offers a variety of online and printable crossword puzzles.
Just Crosswords
EDigg.com
Crossword puzzles are made up of black and white squares that usually form a square or resctangular grid. The purpose of the crossword puzzles is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases that make up an answer to a clue. The clues on crossword puzzles are referred to by numbers and a direction so you know where to start the answer. The black squares in crossword puzzles are used to seperate the words or phrases.
One fact I find interesting about crossword puzzles is that France banned the use of crossword puzzles during the second world war. France was afraid that messages could reach the enemy through the use of crossword puzzles.
Though most enjoy doing crossword puzzles with a pen and paper, there are places online where you can find crossword puzzles for free.
BestCrosswords.com offers a variety of online and printable crossword puzzles.
Just Crosswords
EDigg.com
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Free Jigsaw Puzzles
It is believed that the first jigsaw puzzle was created by a man named John Spilsbury in the 1760's. He was a mapmaker and engraver who took a map of the world and attached it to a piece of wood. He then took the wood and cut out each country on the map. Students would use this to learn about geography by putting the pieces back together.
Jigsaw Puzzles have come a long way since the 1760's. They were continued to be used during the 18th and 19th century for educational purposes and to keep children occupied. Jigsaw puzzles became very popular during the 20th century when big name companies such as Viking and Chad Valley began making them with different scenery's and coming up with new promotional strategies.
One of the biggest problems of jigsaw puzzles for me was finding a place to put them together. With so many different pieces taking hours to put together, it was impossible for me to find a place to keep it so no one else would mess with it. That is one of the reasons I am so grateful for the internet. Now I can do jigsaw puzzles on the computer and not worry about anyone ruining them or taken them apart.
Here are a few places you can do jigsaw puzzles for free:
PuzzleHouse
Jigzone
FlashPuzzleZone
Jigsaw Puzzles have come a long way since the 1760's. They were continued to be used during the 18th and 19th century for educational purposes and to keep children occupied. Jigsaw puzzles became very popular during the 20th century when big name companies such as Viking and Chad Valley began making them with different scenery's and coming up with new promotional strategies.
One of the biggest problems of jigsaw puzzles for me was finding a place to put them together. With so many different pieces taking hours to put together, it was impossible for me to find a place to keep it so no one else would mess with it. That is one of the reasons I am so grateful for the internet. Now I can do jigsaw puzzles on the computer and not worry about anyone ruining them or taken them apart.
Here are a few places you can do jigsaw puzzles for free:
PuzzleHouse
Jigzone
FlashPuzzleZone
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sudoku Puzzles
Sudoku Puzzles are now officially my favorite kind of puzzles. I hated them when I first saw them but now I do Sudoku Puzzles every day. Sudoku Puzzles are brain teasers that have also been called wordless crossword puzzles. Sudoku Puzzles are often solved through lateral thinking and have been making a large impact all across the world.
Also known as Number Place, Sudoku puzzles are actually logic-based placement puzzles. The object of the game is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell that is found on a 9 x 9 grid which is subdivided into 3 x 3 subgrids or regions. Several digits are often given in some cells. Ideally, at the end of the game, every row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral from 1 through 9. Patience and logic are two qualities needed in order to complete the game.
Number puzzles very much similar to the Sudoku Puzzles have already been in existence and have found publication in many newspapers for over a century now. Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor, was considered the designer of the modern Sudoku Puzzles. His design was first published in 1979 in New York by Dell, through its magazine Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games under the heading Number Place.
Here are a few places where you can find sudoku puzzles to do for free:
WebSudoku
Free Printable and Online Sudoku Puzzles
SudokuPuzzles.org
Also known as Number Place, Sudoku puzzles are actually logic-based placement puzzles. The object of the game is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell that is found on a 9 x 9 grid which is subdivided into 3 x 3 subgrids or regions. Several digits are often given in some cells. Ideally, at the end of the game, every row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral from 1 through 9. Patience and logic are two qualities needed in order to complete the game.
Number puzzles very much similar to the Sudoku Puzzles have already been in existence and have found publication in many newspapers for over a century now. Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor, was considered the designer of the modern Sudoku Puzzles. His design was first published in 1979 in New York by Dell, through its magazine Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games under the heading Number Place.
Here are a few places where you can find sudoku puzzles to do for free:
WebSudoku
Free Printable and Online Sudoku Puzzles
SudokuPuzzles.org
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