A free online tangram game for all ages
The tangram is one of the oldest and best-loved puzzles in the world: seven simple shapes, cut from one square, that can become a cat, a swan, a mountain or almost anything else you can imagine. This free online tangram game keeps the puzzle exactly as it has always been and makes it easy to play on a phone, a tablet or a computer: drag a piece to move it, tap to turn it, and watch it click into place when it fits.
The seven tangram pieces
Every tangram uses the same set, called tans:
- Two large triangles, each a quarter of the original square.
- One medium triangle.
- Two small triangles.
- One square.
- One parallelogram, the only piece that changes when you flip it over.
In a real puzzle all seven pieces are used, they may touch but never overlap, and together they cover the shadow exactly.
From warm-ups to classic tangrams
The first twelve puzzles are warm-ups made from the original square, using just two to six pieces. Each one shows the outline of every piece inside the shadow, so even young children can play by matching shapes. The first few keep every piece already turned the right way, so children only need to slide them; after that, pieces arrive turned and must be rotated too.
Next come the classic seven-piece figures, first with helper lines, then as a plain shadow: the square, the swan, the cat, the bird, the mountain and the arrow. Solving the plain shadow is the real tangram challenge, the one that has kept puzzle lovers busy for two hundred years.
Why tangrams are good for children
Tangrams train spatial thinking: imagining how a shape will look after it is turned or flipped, and seeing a big shape as smaller parts. Research on early learning links these spatial skills with later success in math; one study found that children who were better at putting together tangram and block shapes at age 3 had stronger math readiness at age 5. Teachers use tangrams to introduce the names of shapes, turning, symmetry and area, and children simply enjoy the moment when a picture appears.
If your child enjoys shapes and numbers, try our step-by-step math games for kids, or browse all kids games by age.
Tips for solving any tangram
- Big triangles first. They take up half the area, so placing them early leaves little room for mistakes.
- Find the corners. A sharp point in the shadow is usually a triangle; a right-angled corner may be the square.
- Mind the parallelogram. If it will not fit, flip it.
- Use the hint. Each puzzle has three hints that place one piece for you.
A short history
The tangram was invented in China, probably in the early nineteenth century, and quickly became a craze in Europe and America, where books of tangram figures sold in huge numbers. Its Chinese name, qiqiaoban, means “seven boards of skill”, a good description of a puzzle that is simple to learn and surprisingly deep to master.
More puzzles to try
If you like fitting shapes together, Block Puzzle and Tile Match are relaxing choices, and Queens is a clever logic challenge on a grid.
How to play Tangram
- Each puzzle shows a dark shadow. Your job is to cover it exactly with the pieces from the tray.
- Drag a piece to move it. Tap a piece to turn it by an eighth of a turn.
- The parallelogram is the only piece that looks different when flipped over. Select it and press Flip.
- When a piece is close to a spot where it fits, it snaps in. Fill the whole shadow to solve the puzzle.
- The first puzzles use only 2 to 6 pieces and show where each piece goes. Later puzzles use all 7 pieces and, at the end, only the shadow.
Tangram tips
Start with the big triangles
The two large triangles cover half of every tangram. Find where they fit first, and the small pieces have far fewer places to go.
Look for the square and the parallelogram
Straight corners in the shadow usually belong to the square; long slanted strips are often the parallelogram, flipped one way or the other.
Turn before you drag
Tap a piece until its edges line up with an edge of the shadow, then drag it in. It saves a lot of trial and error.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tangram?
A tangram is a Chinese dissection puzzle made of seven flat pieces cut from a square: two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, a square and a parallelogram. You arrange all seven, without overlapping, to make a given shape.
Is tangram good for kids?
Yes. Research on spatial thinking links puzzles like tangrams and block building to later math skills, and tangrams are used in schools to teach shapes, turning and geometry. Our warm-up puzzles use fewer pieces and show outlines, so children from about age 4 can play.
How many tangram shapes are there?
Thousands of figures have been published since the puzzle became popular in the early 1800s. This game starts with 24 puzzles, from simple warm-ups to classic figures like the swan, the cat and the mountain.
Do I need to flip pieces?
Only the parallelogram changes when it is flipped over. Press Flip to mirror it when it will not fit any other way.
Is this tangram game free?
Yes, it is free, runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, and needs no download or account. Your progress is saved on your device.
