Printable nonograms for kids

Free printable nonograms for kids

A nonogram is a picture logic puzzle. Next to every row and above every column there are numbers that tell you how many squares to fill in. Fill in the right squares, and a hidden picture appears: a cat, a rocket, a castle. You may know these puzzles as picross, griddlers, hanjie or paint by numbers. On this page you can print free nonograms for kids with no sign-up, from tiny 5×5 puzzles for beginners to 15×15 pictures for confident solvers.

This is a generator with a bank of hand-drawn pixel pictures. Every click picks new puzzles, and the pictures on one stack of pages don’t repeat while the bank lasts. The answer key shows each finished picture with its name.

How to solve a nonogram

Each number is a group of filled squares in a row, in order from left to right (or top to bottom for columns). The clue “3 1” means: somewhere in the row there are three filled squares side by side, then at least one empty square, then one more filled square. A clue of 0 means the whole row is empty.

1. Start with big numbers. In a 5×5 grid, a 5 fills the whole row, and a 4 always covers the three middle squares.
2. Fill in 0 rows and columns with small dots or crosses to mark them as empty.
3. Switch between rows and columns. Every square you fill in or mark as empty gives new information to the line that crosses it.
4. When a row has all its groups, mark the remaining squares as empty.

Use a pencil: marking empty squares with a small dot is part of the strategy, and an eraser helps when you change your mind.

Every puzzle is solvable by logic

A badly made nonogram can have two different solutions, or it can force you to guess. Both are frustrating, especially for children. Every picture in our bank has been checked by a solver that works the way a person does: it looks at one row or column at a time and fills in only the squares that are certain. A picture goes into the bank only if this line-by-line logic finishes the whole grid. That means each puzzle has exactly one solution and can always be finished without guessing.

Three sizes

• 5×5 — six puzzles per page. Short clues and simple shapes: a heart, a house, a bell, a duck. A great first step at ages 6–7.
• 10×10 — two puzzles per page. A cat, a rocket, a butterfly, an umbrella. The grid is divided into 5×5 blocks with thicker lines, which makes counting easier. Ages 8 and up.
• 15×15 — one puzzle per page with larger pictures: an owl, a robot, a dinosaur, a castle. For confident young solvers and adults.

Why nonograms are good for kids

Nonograms train real logical thinking: “this square must be filled, because otherwise the 4 doesn’t fit”. Children learn to combine information from two directions, to check their work, and to keep going when a puzzle seems stuck. Counting squares and groups is also good number practice for young children. And unlike many logic puzzles, there is an instant reward: the picture appears and tells you that you got it right.

Nonograms are calm, quiet activities — perfect for a rainy afternoon, a waiting room, a long car ride or an early finisher in class.

Where nonograms come from

Nonograms were invented in Japan in the late 1980s. A graphic designer, Non Ishida, and a puzzle maker, Tetsuya Nishio, came up with picture grids at about the same time, and the puzzles soon appeared in British newspapers as well. The name “nonogram” comes from Non Ishida. Later the puzzles became popular on handheld game consoles as picross, and today there are huge nonograms with hundreds of rows and colors. The rules are the same as on the small grids on this page.

Tips for parents and teachers

• Solve the first 5×5 puzzle together and say your reasoning out loud.
• Teach the “dot” habit: every square that must stay empty gets a dot. Children who mark empty squares make far fewer mistakes.
• Don’t reveal the picture name before the puzzle is done. The surprise is half the fun.
• If a child is stuck, point to one row or column where something can be decided, rather than giving the answer.
• For a classroom, print ten different pages so neighbors get different pictures.

Which size for which age

• Ages 6–7: 5×5, one puzzle at a time, with an adult nearby at first.
• Ages 7–9: 5×5 independently, then the first 10×10 puzzles.
• Ages 9–12: 10×10 and 15×15.
• Teens and adults: 15×15 makes a relaxing coffee-break puzzle.

Answer keys and printing

Tick “Add answer key pages”, and the solved pictures with their names are printed after all the puzzles. On the puzzle pages the picture names are hidden, so nothing gives the answer away. The pages print on A4 or US Letter: the size is chosen for your country automatically and can be changed in the settings. Nonograms are black and white by nature, so they look perfect on any printer. To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.

More logic puzzles

If your child enjoys nonograms, try sudoku for kids, number pyramids or mazes. For another hidden picture, there is color by number.

Frequently asked questions

Choose a size above, click “New puzzles” and print — a fresh hidden picture is one click away.