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Tangram: Free Printable Pieces, Puzzles & Solutions
A tangram is a dissection puzzle made of seven flat pieces cut from one square: two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, a square and a parallelogram. The goal is simple to state and hard to put down — use all seven pieces, without overlapping them, to rebuild a given silhouette. On this site you can print the pieces in color or black & white, work through 19 original tangram puzzles, play the puzzle online, and check every solution. Everything is free for personal and classroom use.
House
Show solution
Cat
Show solution
Boat
Show solution
Fish
Show solution
Start here
- Printable tangram template – color and black & white PDF, A4 and Letter friendly.
- Tangram puzzles and shapes – 19 silhouettes with hidden solutions.
- Tangram puzzle solutions – every answer on one page, for when you are stuck.
- Play tangram online – drag, rotate and flip the pieces in your browser, no printing needed.
- What is a tangram? – the pieces, the rules and a short history.
Why every solution here is exact
Most tangram pictures on the internet are drawings — a person guessed where the pieces go, and sometimes the guess is wrong: a corner sticks out, or two pieces quietly overlap. Every silhouette on Tangram Lab is different. The shapes were solved by a computer program that places the seven pieces on a grid and proves they cover the silhouette exactly, edge to edge, with no gaps and no overlaps. That is why the count matters: this site publishes only figures that passed that test, and when a figure failed it, the figure was fixed or dropped — never faked.
Tangram in the classroom
Teachers use tangrams because seven pieces teach a surprising amount of geometry: right angles, halves and quarters, area, symmetry, and the idea that the same parts can form very different wholes. A simple routine works well: print the template on cardstock, let students first copy a colored solution, then try the same figure as a dark silhouette, and only then open a new puzzle. The easy figures below — the house, the boat and the rocket — are a good first session for ages five and up.
Other languages
- Tangram en español – figuras, para imprimir y para niños.
- Tangram em português – figuras e tangram para imprimir.
- Tangram in italiano – figure e tangram da stampare.
From first print to first solved figure
- Print the template on cardstock and cut the seven pieces.
- Copy two colored solutions from the solutions page, laying each piece on top of its picture — this teaches small hands what the pieces can do.
- Solve the same figures from the dark silhouette, with the solution closed.
- Open a new puzzle. The rectangle, house and boat are the gentlest starts; save the heart and the bridge for later.
The whole path takes one afternoon, and it works because each step removes one support: first the colors guide you, then memory does, then only the silhouette is left.
FAQ
- How many pieces does a tangram have?
- Seven: two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, one square and one parallelogram. Together they form one big square.
- Are the printables really free?
- Yes. All PDFs on this site are free for personal and classroom use. Print as many sets as your class needs.
- What age is tangram for?
- Children from about four can copy colored solutions and try the easiest silhouettes. The harder puzzles — the heart, the cup and the bridge — challenge adults too.
- Do I need to print anything to play?
- No. The online game on this site uses the same 19 figures and works with a mouse or a touchscreen.
More tangram pages
- Tangram Puzzles: 19 Shapes with Solutions
- Printable Tangram Template
- What Is a Tangram?
- Tangram Puzzle Solutions
- Play Tangram Online
Free for personal and classroom use.