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Cross-Sums / Numbergram

Cross-Sums / Numbergram

Min number of participants 1
Age 8+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Not required
Min duration 15 min.
Cost Low
Environment Indoor / Outdoor

A numeric fill-in puzzle: you're given a bank of numbers and place each one into a blank crossword-style grid based on how many digits it has and which digits must line up where lines cross.

The Essentials

Steps

  1. Sort the number bank by digit length and start with the longest numbers — they fit far fewer slots in the grid.
  2. Count how many blank cells exist in each row and column slot, then eliminate bank numbers whose length doesn't match.
  3. Place a number when only one candidate fits both its length and any digits already fixed by a crossing entry.
  4. Cross off each number from the bank as you place it and keep working outward from your most confident placements.

Tips

  • Numbers with repeated or distinctive digit patterns (like 1221 or 5005) are easier to place — spot them early.
  • When two candidates both seem to fit, check whether placing one forces an impossible length elsewhere in the grid.
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