My classes spent part of the today creating their own KenKen puzzles. The enthusiasm and results exceeded my expectations.
Here is the five-step process we used:
1. Draw a 4×4 grid. You can use a 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” scratch paper (1/2 normal size) and have kids create a 4″ square. Then subdivide this into sixteen smaller 1″ squares.
2. Enter the digits 1, 2, 3, 4 into the grid so that no number repeats in any row or column.
3. Using colored pencils create the cages for the numbers, enclosing between one and four numbers. Each number must be in a cage.
4. Create the clues and enter them in the upper left hand corner of each cage.
5. Use another half-sized grid sheet which only contains the clues.
The goal of this activity was to create a puzzle for a fellow classmate to solve. The students were quite engaged in this project, and the class was quiet and on-task with students really involved and taking care with their constructions. After solving KenKen puzzles for about two months, this was the next step in their creative development. Making these puzzles put the students in a different mind set and allowed them to view the puzzle from a different point of view, which gave them a deeper understanding of the puzzle structure. It also empowered them (always a good thing) and showed them how to create structured work. There’s a “teacher saying” that goes something like this: “You don’t really know your subject until you teach it.” I think that there must be a similar saying for constructing KenKen puzzles. Certainly my students have made many comments about what they discovered by creating their own puzzle. Try this; it’s a worthwhile use of class time.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
How do you ensure the puzzle has a unique solution?
Hi Bobby,
Some of the puzzles designed by students may, in fact, have more than one solution (or none at all). I didn’t check the puzzles for accuracy because the main focus of the activity was to offer students the opportunity to move beyond the playing of KenKen to the designing of the game. When I ask students to do things like this, invariably it leads to a greater understanding of the structure of the game. Almost all KenKen puzzles found online are generated by a software algorithm that provides for a unique solution – this was not a requirement of my student project.
- Mr. L
Hi,
I was just wondering if your students are in 6th grade how hard should it be 5*5 6*6 9*9
Thanks
Hi Jimmy,
For KenKen with 6th graders, a 4×4 puzzle using Easy should work fine. My suggestion would be to stay with this level until 80-90% of your students seem to do well with it, or until students start saying, “These are really easy- don’t you have anything more challenging?” Then move to a 4×4 Medium puzzle. Keep this progression going until you find “their level” of competence. You can, of course, print different levels of puzzles for the class and let students pick their own puzzle. This seems to work for my students. Best wishes,
- Mr. L