This kids sudoku worksheet is a gentle first puzzle for a child who is just learning to spot patterns. There is no adding, no big 9 by 9 grid and no rush.
Each sheet has eight little grids, and every grid uses the numbers 1 to 6 just once. One number is missing from each grid, so your child only has to find the number that is not there yet.
Print one sheet, hand over a pencil, and let your child work through the grids in any order. It is the kind of quiet puzzle that works well at the kitchen table, in a classroom corner, or on a rainy afternoon.
What is this kids sudoku worksheet?
Each grid is three boxes wide and two boxes tall. That makes six boxes in total, so the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 each appear once when the grid is finished.
Your child looks at the five numbers already printed, works out which number from 1 to 6 is missing, and writes it in the empty box. That is the whole puzzle, and there is nothing else to work out.
Because there is only one empty box in each grid, a child can finish a grid in a few seconds and feel a small win straight away. Eight little wins make one sheet, and that is usually enough for one sitting.
The six sheets in this set
There are six sheets altogether: the main sheet below and five extra sheets after it. They all follow the same idea, but the numbers are shuffled in a different way on every sheet, so a child cannot just copy the answers from the sheet before.
Start with the main sheet, then try the others in any order. If a sheet feels tricky, go back to one your child already enjoyed and build their confidence up again.
Worksheet 1 — the main sheet, where every answer is a 2 or a 3
On this first sheet, every missing number is either a 2 or a 3. The first grid shows 2, a blank, 4 on the top row and 5, 1, 6 underneath, so the missing number is 3.
The next grid is missing a 2, and the answers keep alternating between 2 and 3 all the way down the page. That makes it a lovely sheet to start with, because your child soon starts to sense the rhythm of it.
Tip for parents and teachers: ask your child to point to the numbers 1 to 6 in order before they write anything. If they can find 1, then 4, 5 and 6, the gap stands out on its own.
Download Worksheet (Free Printable)
Sheet 2 — five grids are missing a 1
The first grid on this sheet shows 2, 5, 3 on the top row and a blank, 4, 6 underneath, so the missing number is 1. The grid beside it is missing a 2.
Five of the eight grids on this sheet are missing a 1, and the last two grids are both missing a 6. It gives your child plenty of practice with 1, without feeling repetitive, because the 1 sits in a different place each time.
Tip for parents and teachers: ask your child to say the numbers 1 to 6 out loud while pointing at each box. The number they do not say is the one that belongs in the empty box.
Download Sheet 2 (Free Printable)
Sheet 3 — the empty box keeps moving
This sheet opens with 3, 4 and a blank on the top row, and 6, 1, 5 underneath, so the missing number is 2. The grid beside it has its empty box at the top left, and the missing number there is 6.
The missing numbers here are more mixed — 2, 6, 2, 5, 1, 5, 4 and 2 — and the empty box moves between the top row and the bottom row. Your child has to look at the whole grid each time, rather than guessing where the gap will be.
Tip for parents and teachers: if your child is stuck, cover the bottom row with a finger and look at the top row first. Then uncover it and check the bottom row the same way.
Download Sheet 3 (Free Printable)
Sheet 4 — a 6 and a 3 in the middle of the page
This sheet starts with 5, 1, 6 on the top row and a blank, 4, 3 underneath, so the missing number is 2. The grid beside it is missing a 4, in the bottom right corner.
Further down, the third grid is missing a 6 and the fourth is missing a 3. The missing numbers across the sheet are 2, 4, 6, 3, 1, 1, 2 and 2, so the middle of the page is a good place to practise the higher numbers.
Tip for parents and teachers: write the numbers 1 to 6 on a scrap of paper and cross each one out as your child spots it in the grid. The number left over is the answer.
Download Sheet 4 (Free Printable)
Sheet 5 — the number 3 turns up three times
The first grid here shows 4, 3, 5 on the top row and 6, a blank, 1 underneath, so the missing number is 2. The grid beside it has its empty box at the top left, and the missing number there is 3.
The number 3 is the missing number in three of the eight grids, while the other missing numbers are 2, 5, 4, 1 and 6. It is a good sheet for a child who sometimes mixes up 3 and 5, because both numbers appear in almost every grid.
Tip for parents and teachers: before your child writes a 3, ask them to trace it in the air first. It slows them down just enough to check they have the right number.
Download Sheet 5 (Free Printable)
Sheet 6 — three grids are missing a 6
The last sheet opens with 6, a blank, 1 on the top row and 5, 2, 4 underneath, so the missing number is 3. The grid beside it is missing a 6, in the bottom left corner.
Three of the eight grids on this sheet are missing a 6, and the other missing numbers are 3, 5, 1 and 1. Because 6 is the biggest number in the set, spotting that it is the one not there yet is a nice final check.
Tip for parents and teachers: keep this sheet for last, or use it a few days later as a quick check. If your child can finish it without help, they are ready for a trickier puzzle.
Download Sheet 6 (Free Printable)
How to use the six sheets across a week
You do not need a lesson plan for these. One sheet a day, for about ten minutes, works really well for most children.
Start the week with the main sheet, then try one extra sheet each day after that. If your child finishes quickly, ask them to explain how they knew the missing number — saying it out loud is half the learning.
Who will enjoy these sheets most?
This kids sudoku worksheet suits preschool and kindergarten children, roughly ages 4 to 6. It is made for children who can count to 6 and recognise the numbers, but are not yet ready for a big sudoku grid.
It also suits a child who likes puzzles but finds adding and taking away a bit much for now. If your child likes counting puzzles too, try our Ten Frame Number Bonds Worksheet.
How to print and download
Click any worksheet image above to open it at full size, then print it from your browser. Each image has its own Download link underneath it.
For the best result, print on A4 or US Letter paper at 100% scale. A black-and-white print works just as well as colour, because the numbers are what matter, not the colours.
You can also download the kids sudoku worksheet sheets from the Download links and save them to print again later. Keep a finished sheet in a folder, and in a few weeks print it again to see how much quicker your child is.