Forest Sudoku
Printable 4×4 number Sudoku with a forest squirrel theme: six puzzles, a worked example, hints and answers. Free A4 and US Letter PDFs.
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Help the squirrel place the numbers! Choose a puzzle, pick up a pencil, and fill the empty cells with 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Six puzzles · one separate example · first hints and answers
210 × 297 mm · 14 pages · Color · 5.06 MB
8.5 × 11 in · 14 pages · Color · 5.06 MB
A number puzzle in a forest setting
Each practice page has one large 4 x 4 grid, with a squirrel illustration beside the heading. The rules stay the same across all six puzzles: use every number once in each row, column, and little 2 x 2 box.
The grid is 188 × 188 mm, with 47 × 47 mm cells in both paper versions. Use a pencil to write numbers into the spaces. The squirrel and colors decorate the page; they are not clues.
What's inside
- A fourteen-page color PDF in each size: A4 and US Letter.
- A visual rule page showing a row, a column, and a 2 x 2 box.
- One separate example grid, followed by its first three steps.
- Six practice puzzles, each on its own page.
- Complete answers and a first hint for every practice puzzle.
- Notes for a grown-up and the full answer to the separate example.
The example and its answer are separate from the six practice puzzles. The cover previews Puzzle 1; it is not a seventh practice puzzle.
Three rules to check
Write 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the empty cells.
- Each number appears once in every row, looking across.
- Each number appears once in every column, looking down.
- Each number appears once in every 2 x 2 box, marked by the grid's box borders.
Keep the printed numbers in place. After writing a number, check its row, column, and box.
Try the separate example
The first target is the third cell in the top row. The row allows 3 or 4, the column allows 2 or 3, and the box allows only 3. The number that fits all three is 3.
Pages 4-5 show three steps with the added numbers circled. These are the first steps, not the completed puzzle. Find the full example answer on page 14.
Print a puzzle, keep the answers handy
Choose the PDF that matches your paper and print at 100% / Actual Size, with Fit to Page turned off. Both versions keep the same large practice grid.
Practice puzzles are on pages 6-11. Use page 2 for the rules, page 3 for the separate example, and pages 4-5 for its first three steps. Keep pages 12-14 aside for the first hints, answers, and grown-up notes. You can leave these reference pages on screen.
All you need is a printed puzzle and a pencil. An eraser can be useful too.
When a little help is needed
Point to a row, a column, and a 2 x 2 box. Ask what is already there, then which number could fit all three. Each puzzle has one first hint on pages 12-13, alongside its answer. Offer the hint when needed and let the rest of the puzzle continue from there.
Questions before you print
Are these picture puzzles? The grids use the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. The squirrel and maple leaf are illustrations; there are no cut-out picture tokens.
How many puzzles are included? Six practice puzzles and one separate example. Puzzle 1 also appears on the cover as a preview.
Where should we begin? Look at the three rules on page 2, then the separate example on page 3 and its first three steps on pages 4-5.
Where are the answers? The six practice answers and their first hints are on pages 12-13. The example's full answer is on page 14.
Do the colors tell us where a number goes? No. Use the printed numbers and the three Sudoku rules. Colors and the squirrel do not give clues.
Do I have to print every page? No. Pick a practice page from pages 6-11. Print the rules or example if you want them beside you, and keep reference pages on screen.
Which file should I choose? Choose A4 for A4 paper or US Letter for US Letter paper. Both contain the same six puzzles and separate example. Print at 100% / Actual Size.
Answer preview: Puzzles 1-4
