Toothpick Puzzles

 Toothpick puzzles (also referred to as matchstick puzzles) provide students with a

visualization challenge by applying their knowledge of basic geometric shapes and

orientations. Depending on the complexity of the puzzle, this could be used for fifth

grade and even high school. The activity below can be used for middle school.

 The goal of this activity is for students to transform given geometric figures into others

by adding, moving, or removing toothpicks.

Material needed:

 A box of toothpicks, a workspace, and a puzzle to solve.

As an extension, I will challenge my students to create their own puzzles for others to solve.

Activity 1. Remove two toothpicks to leave only two squares

.2. Move four toothpicks to leave only three equilateral triangles