Colouring NestTangram Puzzles Online for Kids
A tangram is a square cut into seven pieces: two large triangles, a medium triangle, two small triangles, a square and a parallelogram. Use all seven, without overlapping, to make a shape. Our free online tangram has 22 of our own shapes (animals, people, things and simple shapes) with no download or sign-up. Easy puzzles show the lines between the pieces; hard ones are a solid silhouette. Pieces turn by an eighth of a turn and flip over, and a piece that is the right way round clicks into place when it is close. Prefer card and scissors? Print our tangram template and cut out the pieces.
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Play next: Jigsaw puzzles · Dots and boxes · Nonograms · all games
Print the tangram template: seven pieces to cut out and shapes to try.
How to play
- Pick a shape (or play today’s shape). Use all seven pieces to fill it, with no gaps and no pieces on top of each other.
- Drag a piece onto the shape. When it is the right way round and close to its place, it clicks in.
- Tap a piece to choose it; tap it again, or press “Turn”, to turn it an eighth of a turn. “Flip” turns the parallelogram (or any piece) over.
- Start with the two large triangles: they fill the biggest parts. The small pieces go last. “Lines” shows where each piece goes; switch it off for a harder puzzle.
- Stuck? “Hint” outlines where one piece goes and says how to turn it; press it again and the piece goes in for you.
- Keyboard: Tab to a piece, move it with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps), R turns it (Shift+R the other way), F flips it, H gives a hint, Escape sends it back to the tray.
Who it’s for: Kids from about age 5, families, classes and grown-ups. Sound is off unless you turn it on, there is no time limit, and “Pause” stops the clock.
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Tangram tips and strategy
- Place the two big triangles first. They take up half the shape, so their place is usually easiest to see.
- Look for corners: a right angle in the outline is often the square or a triangle’s corner.
- The parallelogram (the slanted piece) is the one most often the wrong way round: try Flip.
- Keep the piece lines on until a shape feels easy, then turn them off.
Print a tangram to cut out
Print our tangram template on A4 or Letter paper: the seven pieces in a big square, plus six silhouettes to make. Glue it to card before cutting. More shape fun to print: dot to dot, mazes and colour by number.
Questions
What is a tangram?
A tangram is an old Chinese puzzle: a square cut into seven pieces, called tans. Two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, a square and a parallelogram. You use all seven to make a shape, from animals and people to boats and houses. The pieces may touch but never overlap.
Can every shape be made?
Yes. Each of our 22 shapes was made from the seven pieces first and then drawn as a silhouette, and our test program checks that every one is exactly the seven pieces with nothing overlapping or left over. Some shapes can be made in more than one way; here a piece clicks in where we put it, and “Hint” shows that place.
What age are tangrams for?
Children from about 5 can do the easy shapes with the lines shown, especially with a grown-up. From about 7 they enjoy the medium shapes, and the hard solid silhouettes are a good puzzle for older children and adults. Tangrams build shape, space and problem-solving skills, which is why teachers use them in maths lessons.
Why do some pieces need turning by half a right angle?
In the square, the large triangles sit corner to corner on the diagonal, so pieces often need an eighth of a turn (45 degrees) as well as quarter turns. Each tap on a chosen piece turns it by 45 degrees; eight taps bring it all the way round.
Can I print a tangram?
Yes. Our printable tangram template has the seven pieces in a big square to cut out (glue it to card first) and six of our shapes to try.
Is it safe for children?
Yes. There is no chat, no account, no in-game purchases and no links to other sites. Adverts on the page are non-personalised and sit below the game, away from where children tap.
Is it free? Do I need to sign up or download anything?
It is free and plays in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone. There is nothing to download and no account. Your stats are kept in this browser only. A few adverts on the page, kept well away from the game, pay for the site.
If you like Tangram, try
- Jigsaw puzzlesPlay onlineBright pictures in 4 to 64 pieces, from age 3 to grown-ups. Drag the pieces into place.
- Mazes onlinePlay onlineGuide a squirrel to its acorn or a rocket to the moon: tiny mazes for age 3 up to hard ones for grown-ups.
- Dots and boxesPlay onlineJoin the dots, finish a box and go again. Against a gentle computer or a friend on the same screen.
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