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spring
Matchstick Puzzles
Interactive Matchstick Puzzles
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The Tent
The tent consists of two equilateral triangles. Move 2 matchsticks to get three equilateral triangles.
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The Cross
The cross consists of five squares. Move 4 matchsticks to end up with three squares only.
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Wine Glasses to a House
Move 6 matchsticks to get the image of a house. ------- *The puzzle appeared in Bryant & May's Little Book of Matchstick Puzzles at the beginning of the 20th century.
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Reversing the House
Move 1 matchstick to make the house face east instead of west.
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Twin Cubes: View 2
Two cubes can be spotted in this figure. Move 4 matchsticks in order to get a figure consisting of three cubes.
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Twin Cubes: View 1
Two cubes can be spotted in this figure. Move 2 matchsticks to get a figure which would consist of three cubes.
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Meander to Squares
Move 4 matchsticks to transform the snaky line into two squares.
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The Right Triangles
The shape contains 4 right triangles in it. Can you identify them all? Move 1 matchstick in order to obtain 6 right triangles.
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A Couple of Wine Glasses
Two wine glasses can be seen here. More 3 matchsticks to obtain three wine glasses, all identical in shape to the original ones.
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Square & E
Ten matchsticks are arranged in the square and the stylized "E" letter. Move 3 matchsticks to get two squares.
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Key to Squares
Two identical squares can be spotted in this shape. Move 4 matchsticks to get three squares.
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Penta to Tetra
Move 2 matchsticks to get exactly 4 identical squares instead of five.
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Hexagram to 6 Diamonds
Move 6 matchsticks to get six equal diamonds.
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1 Triangle to 3
Move 3 matchsticks to end up with 3 triangles.
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2 Squares to 3
Move 3 matchsticks to make three squares.
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The Sand Timer
Move 4 matchsticks to turn this sand timer upside-down.
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Christmas Tree to 5 Triangles
Move 3 matchsticks to get 5 triangles
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Tic-Tac-Toe to Squares
Twelve matchsticks are arranged into the tic-tac-toe style grid. Move 3 matchsticks so that to get three identical squares.
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Two from Three
Nine matchsticks are arranged into three identical equilateral triangles. Move 2 matchsticks to get only two equilateral triangles.
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Turn the Fish
The fish is swimming to the left. Move 3 matchsticks to make it swimming in the opposite direction, i.e. to the right.
Puzzles with matchsticks are very popular today among both children and adults. They help a person develop logical thinking and attentiveness. Matchstick logic problem can be very different. Basically, the tasks require you to create some kind of image, number or geometric figure.
Matchstick modeling develops thinking. The main highlight of such problems is that the answer is usually not obvious. Moreover, sometimes at first glance it seems that it is impossible to solve the puzzle at all. It takes at least a few minutes of thinking in your head or with a pencil. Obviously, such exercises are useful for “pumping up” logic and developing spatial thinking in a child.
Matchstick riddles influence the imagination. By imagining what would happen if we move this or that matchstick, we develop the “imagination center” inside our brain. Matchstick puzzles improve short-term memory. This is especially true for those who solve such problems in their head, remembering intermediate results. Spending time solving puzzles encourages attentiveness and perseverance. Last but not least - concentration plays a key part as well.
Challenging yourself to solve a matchstick puzzle in the shortest timespan boosts your self-esteem. And then, challenging yourself to solve a really difficult problem, we feel more confident and stop giving in to difficulties ahead.
Our constantly expanding collection of interactive matchstick puzzles comes in different difficulty levels, making them suitable for both adults and children. You can return to your favorite puzzles many times and share them with friends and dear ones.
How to solve matchstick puzzles? It is clear that in each specific case the approach differs, but there are still general recommendations. The hint is often contained in the problem’s objective itself, so you need to read it very carefully. Analyze whether there is a “double bottom” or a catch in it. Prepare for the fact that the solution is not trivial - otherwise the task would not be called a puzzle. Often you need to move 1 matchstick to get one or another figure or a certain number of figures. Don't forget: several small shapes (for example, squares) can make up a large one. Take your time. Don't focus on getting through the exercise quickly. Consider your options carefully.
As a pleasant bonus, we would like to draw your attention to 7 interesting facts about matchstick production:- a match that ends up in sea water will decompose within six months;
- the best material for making matches is aspen;
- the first matchboxes were made of metal;
- there are more than 100 types of matches in the world;
- about 30 billion matchboxes are produced annually on the planet;
- on average there are approximately 40 matches in a box. In the 19th century, the number reached 60 pieces;
- it turns out that an ordinary match can save a person from death if he is bitten by a poisonous karakurt spider. To do this, the bite site must be cauterized as quickly as possible, as a result of which the poison will disintegrate and will not pose any threat to the human.