Playful Number Sudoku
Colorful 4×4 number Sudoku to print: six puzzles, a separate worked example, hints and answers. Free 14-page A4 and US Letter PDFs.
Free printable. No sign-up needed. For home use and use with your own class or group. Please do not sell, upload or share the PDF. Share a link to this page instead.
Find a place for every number! Choose a grid, pick up a pencil, and fill its empty cells with 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Six puzzles · one separate example · first hints and answers
210 × 297 mm · 14 pages · Color · 0.05 MB
8.5 × 11 in · 14 pages · Color · 0.05 MB
Numbers at play
Four colorful number cards set the scene, while a large 4 x 4 grid leaves room to write. Each practice page has a different puzzle, using the same three rules: no repeated number in a row, column, or little 2 x 2 box.
The practice grid measures 188 × 188 mm, with 47 × 47 mm cells in both paper versions. The number-card colors decorate the page; they do not tell you where a number belongs.
What's included
- A fourteen-page color PDF in each paper size: A4 and US Letter.
- A visual rule page with a highlighted row, column, and 2 x 2 box.
- A separate example grid and its first three steps.
- Six practice puzzles, one per page.
- A complete answer and a first hint for every practice puzzle.
- Notes for a grown-up, including the full example answer.
Puzzle 1 also appears on the cover as a real preview. That repeated preview is not another puzzle. The separate example is distinct from the six practice grids.
Check all three rules
Write 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the empty cells.
- Look across a row: use each number once.
- Look down a column: use each number once.
- Look inside each little 2 x 2 box: use each number once.
Leave the printed numbers where they are. After adding a number, check its row, column, and box.
One checked move at a time
In the separate example, start with the second cell in the top row. The row allows 1 or 2; the column allows only 1; the box allows only 1. The number that fits all three is 1.
The next step puts 2 in the third cell of that row. The third step puts 1 in row 2, cell 4. These moves are shown on pages 4-5, with added numbers circled. Other cells are still empty; the full example answer is on page 14.
Print the pages you want to use
Choose the PDF that matches your paper. Print at 100% / Actual Size, with Fit to Page turned off. Both versions keep the same large practice grid.
Choose a practice puzzle from pages 6-11. Page 2 explains the rules; page 3 shows the separate example; pages 4-5 show its first three steps. The practice answers and first hints are on pages 12-13. Page 14 has the grown-up notes and full example answer.
Use a pencil, and keep the reference pages on screen or beside you. An eraser can be handy too.
When you want a hint
Look at the numbers already in the target cell's row, column, and box. A number must fit all three. Each practice puzzle has a first hint on pages 12-13; it shows one move and its checks. Use that hint if you need a starting point, then continue with the three rules.
Questions before you print
How many puzzles are in the set? Six practice puzzles and one separate example. The cover repeats Puzzle 1 as a preview.
How do we begin? Read the visual rules on page 2, then look at the example on page 3 and the first three steps on pages 4-5.
Where are the answers? Practice answers and their first hints are on pages 12-13. The separate example's full answer is on page 14.
Do the colors give clues? No. Use the numbers and the row, column, and 2 x 2 box rules. The colors only decorate the number cards.
Are there cut-out cards? The four colorful number cards are part of the page design. These are pencil-and-paper puzzles; the set does not include a cut-out sheet.
Do I have to print every page? No. Choose a practice page from pages 6-11 and print any rule or example pages you want beside you. You can keep the hints and answers on screen.
Which file should I choose? Use A4 for A4 paper or US Letter for US Letter paper. Both files contain the same puzzles and separate example. Print at 100% / Actual Size.
Answer preview: Puzzles 1-4
