How to Play Sudoku: Rules for Kids

The one rule

Sudoku really has just one rule:

Each symbol must appear exactly once in every row, every column and every box with a thick border.

Rows go from left to right, columns from top to bottom, and you can spot the boxes by their thick lines. A sudoku is solved when every square is filled and the rule holds everywhere.

Step by step: your first sudoku

1. Look at a row that already has lots of pictures in it.
2. Which picture is missing? A 4×4 has four pictures – if three are there, the fourth is clear.
3. Tap the empty square and choose the missing picture.
4. Carry on with columns and boxes. Every new picture helps with the next square.
5. All full? Tap “Check” – and celebrate! 🎉

Don’t worry about mistakes: if a picture doesn’t fit, the square wiggles briefly and you can try again.

4×4, 6×6 or 9×9?

• 4×4: 16 squares, four symbols, boxes of 2×2 – the place to start, from about age 4 to 5.
• 6×6: 36 squares, six symbols, boxes 2 high and 3 wide – from about age 6 to 7.
• 9×9: the classic sudoku with 81 squares and boxes of 3×3 – from about age 8.

The rule is exactly the same in all three sizes.

Three tricks for tricky puzzles

• The missing one: work out which symbols are still missing in a row, column or box.
• Where can it go? Pick one symbol and check every empty square in a box. If only one is possible – got it!
• Take a break: when you’re stuck, look away for a moment. Afterwards you often see the answer straight away.

Tips for parents

• Start small: begin with the 4×4 on “Easy” – early successes are motivating. What suits which age is explained in sudoku for 4-year-olds or for 6-year-olds, for example.
• Ask, don’t tell: “What’s already in this row?” helps more than showing the answer.
• Pictures before numbers: for preschoolers, picture sudoku is ideal.
• Together on paper: printable sudokus are great for solving side by side at the table.