4×4 Sudoku for Kids

Play 4×4 sudoku online for free: a gentle first sudoku for kids that uses only the numbers 1 to 4, gives a new puzzle every time and has a hint button for when you get stuck. Each puzzle starts with 6 of the 16 squares filled in and has exactly one answer that logic can find, so it is easy sudoku for kids aged about 5 to 7 and a friendly beginner sudoku for anyone. You can also print 4×4 sudoku sheets, with numbers or pictures, for the classroom, the car or the kitchen table.

Kids sudoku online: play 4×4 sudoku and print it

Play the 4×4 sudoku game above, then print the same kind of puzzle on paper. The two printable pages below come from our sudoku maker, which can make as many easy sudoku for kids sheets as you need, with an answer key. The pictures also show the online game with a wrong number marked in red and a puzzle that is nearly solved.

How to play 4×4 sudoku

1. Fill every row, column and box: each of the four rows, four columns and four 2 × 2 boxes must contain the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 exactly once.
2. Tap a square, then tap a number (or type it on a keyboard). The number you choose appears in blue.
3. Watch for red: a wrong number turns red and adds one to the mistakes counter, so you can fix it straight away.
4. Use Erase or Hint: Erase clears a square, and Hint fills in one square for you (it counts as a mistake).
5. Keep going until the grid is full. Every puzzle is new and can always be solved by logic, with no guessing.

Worked example: solve a beginner sudoku step by step

Here is a 4×4 sudoku with 6 numbers given. Try to solve it yourself first, then read the steps. In each step, one square has only one number that can go in it, which is the simplest way to solve sudoku.

1. Row 1, column 4: the row has 1 and 3, the column has no numbers yet and the box has 3 and 4, so the only number that fits is 2.
2. Row 1, column 2: the row has 1, 2 and 3, the column has 1 and 3 and the box has 1 and 3, so the only number that fits is 4.
3. Row 2, column 1: the row has 3 and 4, the column has 1 and 4 and the box has 1, 3 and 4, so the only number that fits is 2.
4. Row 2, column 4: the row has 2, 3 and 4, the column has 2 and the box has 2, 3 and 4, so the only number that fits is 1.

Keep going in the same way and the whole grid fills in. This is the finished solution:

5 tips for beginner sudoku

• Start where the clues are: look at the row, column or box with the most numbers and see which numbers are missing.
• Look for the only number: if a square’s row, column and box already contain three of the four numbers, the fourth must go there.
• Look for the only square: if a number can only go in one square of a row, column or box, write it in.
• Cross numbers out in your head: pick a number such as 3, find where it already is, and rule out the rest of those rows, columns and boxes.
• Do not guess: every puzzle has exactly one solution, so if you are stuck, look for a different row, column or box to work on.

For a longer walk-through with a bigger grid, read our guide to how to solve sudoku.

4×4, 6×6 and 9×9 sudoku compared

In the table, “starts with” is the number of squares filled in at the start on this site: 6 for 4×4, 16 for 6×6, and 40, 32 or 27 for the easy, medium and hard 9×9 puzzles. A 2 × 3 box is 2 rows tall and 3 columns wide. A 4×4 sudoku has only 288 possible filled grids, which is why the puzzles are quick to learn. A puzzle needs at least 4 numbers to have just one solution, because three are never enough. The same count for 6×6 and 9×9 grids grows to 28,200,960 and more than 6.6 sextillion. Wikipedia’s mathematics of Sudoku article explains how those numbers are worked out.

Why kids like sudoku, and what they learn

Sudoku needs no arithmetic, because the numbers are only symbols that could just as well be colors or shapes. What it practices is logical thinking: noticing what is missing, ruling things out and checking an idea before writing it down. It also builds patience and attention, because a puzzle can only be solved one square at a time.

The modern puzzle appeared as Number Place in a US magazine in 1979 and was named sudoku in Japan in 1984. Wikipedia’s Sudoku article tells the story, and the Latin square idea behind it is older still.

Picture sudoku for children who are not reading numbers yet

Children who are still learning their numbers can solve the same puzzle with shapes. In picture sudoku, each row, column and box must have a circle, a square, a triangle and a star once each. Choose “Pictures (shapes)” in the printable sudoku maker to print one, and use colored pencils for extra fun.

A 5-minute sudoku routine

• At home: one puzzle after dinner or before bed is a calm screen-free habit when you print it.
• In class: use a 4×4 puzzle on the board as a morning warm-up and let children come up to place a number.
• Pairs: one child points, the other explains why a number must go there.
• Level up: after three quick wins in a row, try the 6×6 sudoku.

4×4 sudoku: frequently asked questions

What age is 4×4 sudoku for?

Most children can start around age 5 or 6, as soon as they recognise the numbers 1 to 4, and picture sudoku works even earlier.

How many numbers are filled in at the start?

Each 4×4 puzzle starts with 6 of the 16 squares filled in, so 10 squares are left to solve.

Does every puzzle have only one answer?

Yes. Every puzzle is new and has exactly one solution, so it can always be solved by logic without guessing.

What is the smallest number of clues a 4×4 sudoku needs?

Four. With three numbers given, more than one solution is always possible, but some arrangements of four numbers have exactly one.

Do kids need to be good at math to play?

No. Sudoku uses numbers as symbols and needs no adding, so it suits children who find math hard as well as those who enjoy it.

How is the Hint button used?

Tap Hint and the game fills in one square for you. It counts as a mistake, so keep it for when you are really stuck.

Is 4×4 sudoku free, and do kids need an account?

Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.

Can I print 4×4 sudoku?

Yes. Use the printable sudoku maker to print easy 4×4 puzzles, with an answer key page if you want one.

More sudoku and puzzle games

• 6×6 sudoku, the next step up
• Easy sudoku, medium sudoku and hard sudoku for 9×9 grids
• Printable sudoku maker with answer keys
• How to solve sudoku, a guide with a worked example
• All learning games