Solve a fact, then find factor → factor → answer in three squares in a straight line (across or down). Drag across all three. Not every number in the grid will be used.
Solve, then search: Work out each fact in the list, such as 7 × 8 = 56.
Trace three numbers: Drag from the first number to the answer — 7, then 8, then 56 — in a straight line. On a phone or tablet you can also tap the first number and then the answer.
Read forward: Facts read left to right or top to bottom (and down-right when diagonals are on). Dragging backwards still counts.
A Times-Table Puzzle That Makes Students Think Twice
In a number search, knowing the answer is only the first step. Students solve 6 × 7, then scan the grid for a 6 that sits next to a 7 and a 42. Because the grid is full of real factors and products, a quick guess does not work — the whole fact has to line up.
🔍 What Makes This Puzzle Fair
Every listed fact appears once
Each puzzle is built and checked in your browser. Every fact in the list is hidden exactly one time.
No surprise "extra" facts
The grid never contains a true multiplication line that is not on the list — reading forwards or backwards — so students are not confused by a correct fact that does not count.
Hints without pressure
There is no timer. The Hint button first lights up the starting number, then shows a dashed loop if more help is needed.
Choosing a Level
2–5 tables: 8 facts from the 2, 3, 4 and 5 times tables (× 1 to × 12) on an 8 × 8 grid — a gentle start.
2–9 tables: 12 facts from the 2 to 9 times tables (× 1 to × 12) on a 10 × 10 grid.
2–12 tables: 15 facts from the 2 to 12 times tables (× 1 to × 12) on a 10 × 10 grid, so puzzles can include products over 100.
For Teachers
Number searches work well as a calm math-center activity or an early-finisher task. Students practice recall twice: once to solve each fact and again to recognize it inside the grid.
Need a Printable Version?
Use the free worksheet generator to choose your own factor ranges, make a different puzzle for every student, and download a PDF with answer keys.