Free Printable Four Fours Puzzle Worksheets for Grade 5

Fifth grade is when students formally learn to write and interpret numerical expressions with grouping symbols. This puzzle provides the perfect practice ground for that exact skill, moving it from an abstract rule to a creative and engaging challenge.

These worksheets provide direct, hands-on practice with the order of operations, including the use of parentheses, brackets, and braces. Students apply their understanding of numerical expressions (a key 5th-grade Common Core standard) in a problem-solving context that also sharpens their computational fluency.

Use the puzzle to demonstrate why a standard order of operations is necessary. Present an ambiguous expression like 4 x 4 + 4 / 4 and show the different answers possible without rules. Then, introduce the puzzle as a way to practice using parentheses and the order of operations to achieve a specific, desired result.

Difficulty often signals an insecure grasp of the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS). It can also reveal a lack of flexibility in thinking about numbers—for example, not seeing that 4/4 can be used to make 1, or that 4-4 can be used to make 0.

You can host the worksheet as a digital quiz on Wayground for automatic feedback or print the PDF for students to complete on paper. A full answer key is provided for both formats. If you use the printable version, the Wayground for Teachers app allows you to scan and grade student work efficiently.

For an extra challenge, allow advanced students to use decimals (e.g., .4, 4.4) or exponents (4²). For students needing more support, you can use Wayground's "Reduced answer choices" feature in a digital quiz or provide a list of pre-made components like "(4+4)" or "(4/4)" that they can combine.

The puzzle is perfectly aligned with the Common Core standard 5.OA.A.1, which requires students to use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols. It provides a creative application of this standard, moving students from rote evaluation to purposeful construction of expressions.