Build Polyominoes
Copy the highlighted polyomino by filling a 10×10 grid one square at a time.
- Logic
- Medium
- 6 min
- 8-12
How to Play
How to Play
- Pick a block count or leave it on auto so each round gets slightly harder.
- Study the highlighted target polyomino on the left panel.
- Click squares on your 10×10 board to toggle them on or off until the layout matches the target exactly.
- Use the Next Round button to load a fresh challenge, or clear the board to rethink a tricky arrangement.
Knowledge Background
Polyominoes are shapes built from congruent unit squares that touch edge-to-edge. Exploring them deepens understanding of:
- Area and perimeter — learners literally count the squares and boundary edges they used.
- Symmetry and transformations — many solutions require rotations or reflections of the target.
- Spatial decomposition — recognizing how complex figures can be broken into smaller rectangles or L-shapes.
Why This Helps Kids
Hands-on tiling cultivates perseverance, flexible thinking, and precise language. Students must test hypotheses, self-correct, and explain why two shapes are or are not congruent. These habits transfer to geometry proofs, coding pathfinding, and even puzzle-based test questions.
Extensions & Teacher Tips
- Time each round to turn the experience into a friendly speed challenge or STEM center rotation.
- Ask learners to record the coordinates of each filled square, connecting geometry to ordered pairs.
- Create your own “mystery polyomino” by covering parts of the target and having classmates infer the missing cells.
- Bridge to other games such as Explore Multiplication Grid or Program Turtle Shapes to reinforce area models.