Nonograms for Kids: Getting Started, With a Printable Sample

A nonogram for kids works best when the picture is simple, the grid is small and the first row is easy to read. A nonogram is a grid with numbers on its sides: the numbers say how many squares to colour in each row and column, and when every line is right, a picture appears. This page shows how to introduce the puzzle to a child, which LogikLand setting makes it easier, and what to check before you print a children's book.

Why nonograms suit children

A nonogram needs no reading, no spelling and no sums. The child needs to recognise the numbers 1 to 10 and to count squares along a line. The reward is visible: the picture comes out of the grid. There is no "wrong answer" at the end, because the numbers tell you at once if a line is not right.

One thing to settle before you start: LogikLand has no separate children's version of the Nonogram assistant. The assistant is the same for everyone, and the smallest level is Easy, a 10 x 10 grid. The settings below are how we suggest you adapt it for young solvers. That is our suggestion, not a rule, and you know your readers best.

A first lesson with a heart

This is an Easy puzzle from the LogikLand generator, with the Shapes picture type. Its solution is a heart.

Five steps to show a child

1. A zero means an empty line. The first row says 0, so none of its ten squares is coloured. The last column says 0 as well. Put a small dot in every square of both lines.
2. A big number fills the middle. Rows 3, 4, 5 and 6 say 9. A block of 9 in a line of 10 squares can slide by only one square, so squares 2 to 9 are coloured whichever way it slides. Colour them.
3. Use the dots. The last column is empty, so the block of 9 cannot end in square 10. It must use squares 1 to 9. Square 1 of each of those rows gets coloured too.
4. Smaller numbers come later. Row 7 says 7, which gives only squares 4 to 7 for sure. Wait until the columns have been checked before you place the others.
5. Switch between rows and columns. Every new coloured square helps the other direction. Column 4 says 8, so its block covers rows 3 to 8 for sure, and rows 3 to 7 are already coloured.

Solving this grid by line logic takes three passes over the rows and columns. If the child gets stuck, ask: "Which line has the biggest number, and how much room does it have?"

Picture grids are easier to read

In the assistant you choose the kind of picture: symmetric patterns, shapes, or a mix of both. The shapes are silhouettes such as a heart, a cat, a house, a tree, an apple, a bone, a car, a fish and a circle. For children we suggest Shapes. We generated 80 Easy grids of each type to compare them:

A silhouette is made of large filled areas, so most lines have a single number. Lines with a single number are the ones a child can solve first. A shape also gives a prize at the end: you can say "find the animal" or "find the object" before the child starts.

How to help without solving it

• Let the child use a pencil and a small dot for "empty". The how-to-play guide of the assistant uses the same dots.
• Colour only what you are sure of. If the child is unsure, move to another line.
• Count the squares aloud: "a 9 and the line has 10 squares, so how many can move?"
• When the picture appears, let the child colour it in. That is a good use of crayons.

Making a nonogram book for children

To make a book, create a free account and open the Nonogram assistant. Choose Easy, the Shapes pictures and how many grids you want. With Easy or Medium grids you can put 2 grids on a page; as soon as the book contains Hard or Expert grids, the assistant allows only 1 per page. The solutions pages show the picture only, so the child can compare it with their own page. You can add a "How to play" page in the detailed version, with a worked 6 x 6 house example.

Questions