Magic Square

About Magic Square

A three-by-three square, the numbers 1 to 9, and one rule: every row, every column and both diagonals must add up to 15. Some numbers are already placed — work out where the rest belong. Puzzles start with six numbers given and end with only three, and each one has exactly one answer, checked before it shipped.

Magic Square is one of our numbers & maths games for kids. This one plays in the iPhone and iPad app rather than in the browser, but 33 of our games are free to play right here — browse the full library to find them. It is also in our logic games for kids and classic games for kids collections.

How to Play

• Tap an empty square, then tap a number to place it.
• Use each of 1 to 9 exactly once.
• Every row, column and both diagonals must total 15.
• A row's total appears beside it and turns green when it's right.

Tips & Tricks

• The middle square is always 5 — that's true of every 3×3 magic square.
• Corners hold even numbers; the edges hold odd ones.
• If a row already has two numbers, the third one is just 15 minus their sum.

What Kids Learn

Magic Square is built to teach. Playing it, children work on:

• Adding to a target
• Reasoning from constraints
• Noticing structure in numbers

Curriculum links

For teachers and homeschooling parents, here is where Magic Square lines up with what children are taught at school:

• Common Core 2.OA.B.2: Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies
• Ontario Mathematics, Grade 1 (2020) 1.B2.3: Use mental math to add whole numbers that add up to no more than 20

Magic Square — Frequently Asked Questions