Tangrams

 


Here's some puzzling fun for the kids from ancient China! Tangrams, "seven pieces of cleverness", are an ancient Chinese puzzle which is still mind-bending and intriguing today! We've developed some fun printable tangram puzzles which are perfect for kids - they help with logic and thinking skills, dexterity .. and they are just plain puzzling fun! Explore our tangram puzzle printables below...

How to play

Print out one of our Tangram templates - either in colour or black and white - onto cardstock. Cut out very carefully along the lines. Now use the seven pieces to make "pictures" - either inventing your own or using our printable Tangram puzzle pages as a challenge (you will find 10 puzzle pages below). Younger children can lay the Tangram pieces over the printed puzzle pages and move them around until they fit; older children can just use the printed page as guidance.

Teachers - you can always print these patterns out in greyscale if you are using them in the classroom!

Why not print out a set of the tangram puzzle pages, laminate them, and keep them as time-fillers for children who have finished their work early? Our tangram templates should fit exactly if younger children want to use the tangram puzzle pages below as a base to build their tangram pictures on.

Tangram  - Black and White

Tangram - Black and White

Print our black and white tangram template onto card, colour, and then cut carefully along the lines to make the seven pieces.

Tangram - Colour

Tangram - Colour

Print our colour tangram template onto card and cut - very carefully - along the lines to make the seven pieces.

Tangram Pattern Boat

Tangram Pattern Boat

Can you make this picture of a boat, using the seven triangles in our tangram printable? Lay your pieces over the top of the picture for extra help.

Tangram Pattern Candle

Tangram Pattern Candle

Can you arrange our printable tangram pieces so that they make this candle picture? Younger children can use this printable as a guide and arrange the pieces on top.

Tangram Pattern Chair

Tangram Pattern Chair

Can you fit all those tangram triangles together so that they make this chair picture? It's tricky! Use the print-out as a template if it helps.

Trangram Pattern Horse

Tangram Pattern Horse

This lovely stylised picture of a horse can be made with your set of tangram pieces, but it's not immediately obvious how! If you get stuck we also have the solutions to download.

Tangram Pattern House

Tangram Pattern House

Can you form the seven pieces of the tangram puzzle into this picture of a house?

Tangram Pattern Person

Tangram Pattern Person

Try to replicate this picture of a person using our seven tangram puzzle pieces. Use the picture as a template if that helps...

Tangram Pattern Rabbit

Tangram Pattern Rabbit

It seems like it would be impossible to create this rabbit picture using the seven pieces of our tangram puzzle, but if you keep trying you will do it!

Tangram Pattern Rocket

Tangram Pattern Rocket

Can the kids build this rocket picture using the seven pieces of our tangram puzzle? Younger children can lay the pieces over the picture for a bit of help.

Tangram Pattern Swan

Tangram Pattern Swan

Can you make this swan picture using the seven pieces of our tangram puzzle printable? Younger children can lay the pieces over the picture to make it easier.

Tangram Solutions 1

Tangram Solutions 1

Here are the solutions for our boat, candle, person, rocket, chair and house tangram puzzles.

Tangram solutions 2

Tangram solutions 2

Are you stuck on some of our tangram puzzles? Here are the solutions for the rabbit, dog, horse, swan, cat and fish.

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