A Logic Puzzle for Growth Mindset

Are you looking for a fun way to encourage problem solving and critical thinking in the classroom?
How about a fun hand-on brainteaser to add to your growth mindset lessons? I know just the thing.

It's an old frog hopping game that can be found in many variations. In my classroom, we call it Leaping Logic and it is one of my all time favorites.

Simple in design, yet more difficult than you might imagine - my students love this challenge!

I use the game board below.

I  teach Leaping Logic at the beginning of the year during one of my growth mindset lessons.
The puzzle is not easy to figure out, but that is (of course) the challenge! And...There is no greater success than figuring out the pattern and being able to recreate that pattern. Many versions of this game can be found online and through an app, however I still prefer to play on paper and use manipulatives.

To set up your game board, you need 8 game pieces in 2 different colors. I like to use the two-sided math counters. Put one color on one side and the other on the other side. The counters represent the frogs - red frogs and yellow frogs. 

It should look like this.

Your objective is to move all the red counters to where the yellow counters are and vice versa.

To play, you can move any counter you want, but you must follow these rules.

• You can only move each frog forward - never backward.
• You can leap over 1 frog at a time.

The puzzle has been solved when both colors on the board have switched places and the rules have been followed.

Some students do get frustrated. It helps to break it down into steps and start by switching one of each color successfully. Then, try switching two of each color successfully and so on. As they say, how does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This is the same thing. By starting small and building upon each small victory, students are able to solve the puzzle and feel the success of perseverance and grit.

Want a hint?!?  Never move two frogs of the same color next to each other. Keep the colors alternating. 

After students know how to play, I leave this brainteaser in my math games area all year and kids continue to play. They love it! If it has been awhile, I see them reteaching themselves the pattern and if they have it mastered they start solving for speed and racing each other.

Each year I have to reteach myself the pattern. I know the rules. I know the hints. And yet, I still have to think. That's why it is engaging all year long. It's just like the triangle peg game. You can play over and over again.

If you are interested in adding this fun little brainteaser to your back to school goodies, just click any of the pictures above or here to download it for free from TPT.  Let me know if you use it in your classroom. I'd love to hear how it went. Tag me on Instagram @classroomhoopla !

Happy Hopping!

Leaping Logic first appeared on my blog The Teaching Thief 9/6/2013