The worksheet titled "Math Crossword Puzzles: Fill in the Blanks to Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division Problems" is set up to look just like a traditional crossword puzzle. Each one includes lines of long rectangular boxes made up of smaller boxes that intersect one another. All the operations are already plugged into the appropriate boxes. They include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and equal symbols. All the number squares are blank. Students must fill in the empty boxes with the numbers that make the equations correct.

There is a number box at the top of the page that lists all the numbers students use to fill in the puzzle, so they can cross out the numbers they use and see which ones remain. Math problems include standard addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, but students also solve running addition problems. In addition, some answers equal other problems, like 8 - 4 = 6 - 2.

It's important for students to work on memorizing their facts, but it's also important for them to continue working on their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Puzzles can help students practice math facts in creative ways, so they still have to use higher-level thinking skills to find the correct answer.

Math crosswords are a good example. The operational signs can be filled in, and students have to fill in numbers into the blank boxes to create equations that are accurate. You can make it harder by giving students a number bank so they can't just make up their own.

It can also be fun to include running addition problems in the puzzles, as well as equations that equal other equations. For example, completing a crossword with a line like 5 + 2 = 9 - 7 helps students think more critically about how different numbers and equations relate to each other.