Fun with Matchstick Puzzles for Multiple Ages {Free Printables}

Matchstick puzzles are awesome math challenges … great for critical thinking and creativity. And brain teasers like matchstick puzzles are just fun (even for adults). But I don’t like the idea of having matchsticks readily available for young children. Spielgaben to the rescue! Today, I have ideas for using matchstick puzzles for multiple ages by using Spielgaben wooden sticks instead of matchsticks.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Spielgaben. All opinions are honest and my own. This post also contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Spielgaben, Version 4

Cabinet for Spielgaben Version 4

In case you’re not familiar with Spielgaben toys, they are exceptionally high-quality educational toys designed for ages 3-12. You can see from the photo that the cabinet is very high quality and fits in well in a room with traditional Montessori materials. I love the new, easily removable drawers in version 4. The yarn balls from the 1st Spielgaben set can be used with babies and toddlers, too.

The Spielgaben complete set comes with over 700 pages of full-color printed learning materials. These printed materials help you as a parent or teacher easily use Spielgaben toys educationally with your child and/or students.

Spielgaben Materials Used in This Post

I used sticks from the Spielgaben wooden sticks (set 8), which you can purchase separately if you have the latest version. I love the wooden sticks, so it’s nice to have both versions of sticks. Spielgaben rods from  Version 4 would also work.

I’ll link to free printables which will help make the activities simple to prepare yet attractive. I’ll also tell you where I found the materials for my activities.

Note: The yarn balls in set 1 are fine for babies and toddlers. The other sets should only be used with ages 3 and older unless your toddler no longer mouths objects or you are constantly supervising your toddler during an activity using the materials.

Matchstick Puzzles with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks (Design Building for Preschoolers)

Matchstick Puzzle Basket with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks

Since it could be dangerous to have matchsticks available for young children, I used the 3″ Spielgaben sticks. I used the 12 red sticks, which give me the impression of fire. If you want to use designs that require more than 12 sticks, you could just give your child the 3″ sticks in a variety of colors or use a mixture of the 3″ red and orange sticks.

(Note: I used a  Montessori Services basket with a large bamboo condiment cup for the wooden sticks.)

Free Matchstick Puzzles

For the puzzles in the photos, I used free matchstick puzzles from Puzzles to Print.

They have a number of different levels:

• #1 (easy puzzles … shown in my first puzzle)
• #2 (intermediate puzzles … with 2 in my basket)
• #3 (more challenging matchstick puzzles)
• #4 (difficult puzzles … shown in the fish puzzle)
• #5 (triangle matchstick puzzles)

There are a number of other helpful sites with free matchstick puzzles. Here are some you might like to try:

• matchstick puzzles from Matchstick Puzzles (a huge collection)
• matchstick puzzles from Puzzles.com
• matchstick puzzles from MathSphere

Easy through Difficult Matchstick Puzzles for Multiple Ages {Free Printables}

I love that this type of activity can be used for multiple ages in a homeschool or for after-school or summer learning at home. Older children can solve the puzzles while preschoolers can simply build the designs from the cards using the wooden sticks. Preschoolers might like to identify the shapes as well. They could also count shapes.

Easy Matchstick Puzzle with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks

This is an example of one of the easier puzzles.

Easy Matchstick Puzzle Solution with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks

And the solution. (I just printed out the puzzle page and cut apart the puzzles. Then I cut around the solution and glued it to the back of the card.) This could be used at a table or on a rug on the floor. (I always use Montessori Services rugs for floor work.)

Difficult Matchstick Puzzle with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks

A classic matchstick puzzle and one of the more difficult ones.

Difficult Matchstick Solution with Spielgaben Wooden Sticks

And the solution. As you can see, there are so many great thinking skills at work with these!

My Previous Spielgaben Posts:

Most of these include links to free printables! My original Spielgaben review includes examples of Montessori-inspired activities as shown in the collage above. Montessori-Inspired Color Activities Using Wooden Toys and Free PrintablesMontessori-Inspired Math Activities Using Wooden Beads and Free PrintablesMontessori-Inspired Geometry Activities Using Wooden Shapes and Free PrintablesMontessori-Inspired Color Activities Using Spielgaben Yarn Balls and Free PrintablesMontessori Monday – Geometric Solid Dressing, Wrapping, and Gift Giving (and Receiving)Using Montessori-Inspired Activities for Elementary-Level LearningAre Spielgaben Educational Toys Worth the Price?Montessori-Inspired Age and Birthday Learning ActivitiesMontessori-Inspired Math Activities Using Cubes and free PrintablesMontessori-Inspired Activities for Babies and Toddlers Using Yarn BallsMontessori-Inspired Activities Using Spheres {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Sphere, Cube, Cylinder Activities {Free Printable}Montessori-Inspired Phonics Activities Using Dots {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}

Montessori-Inspired Color Games {Free Printables}

Montessori-Inspired Color Games {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Valentine Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Easter Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Color Activities for Toddlers {Free Printables}Montessori-Inspired Summer Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}Toddler Fine-Motor Activities with Spielgaben Montessori-Inspired Addition Activities Using Dots {Free Printables} Montessori-Inspired Train Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables} Montessori-Inspired Fall Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}

How to Prepare Montessori Sensorial Extensions with Spielgaben

Montessori-Inspired Winter Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}

Telling Time Activities with Wooden Sticks and Dots {Free Printables}

Montessori-Inspired Spring Activities with Spielgaben {Free Printables}

UPDATE:

VERSION 4 OF SPIELGABEN EDUCATIONAL TOYS 

I highly recommend Spielgaben as an amazing educational material for home or school. Even though the toys aren’t inexpensive, they’re definitely worth the price because of the high quality of materials and number of years your children or students can use them.