You’ll Need to Think Outside the Box for These Brain Puzzles

We’ve all encountered our fair share of brain puzzles. And whether you faithfully tackle the crossword in your weekly newspaper or haven’t tried your hand at a word search since grade school, brain puzzles are a fantastic way to keep the brain in shape.

We, humans, love a cognitive challenge, most especially if it doesn’t fit the normal scope of what we’re used to dealing with in our everyday lives. Brain puzzles are designed to provide us with an entertaining challenge. These puzzles go far beyond the humdrum of math equations to ask us to think in new and innovative ways. 

The novelty of brain teasers and puzzles helps us exercise thinking strategies that might be unfamiliar to us. And the best part? These creative problem-solving abilities transfer over into many different areas of our lives.

Brain puzzles come in all shapes and forms. Here are a few you might recognize:

• Crossword puzzles
• Sudoku
• Rebus puzzles
• Mechanical puzzles (ex. Rubik’s Cube)
• Riddles
• Brain teasers
• Logic grids

Not only are brain puzzles fun to solve, but they also help you work on your lateral thinking skills — otherwise known as thinking outside the box.

And there’s nothing quite like the sense of satisfaction you get from sliding that final puzzle piece into place or nailing the answer to that befuddling riddle!

Rebus Puzzles: A Brain Puzzle Without Words

Rebus puzzles, also called pictogram puzzles, are brain puzzles made with pictures. You might have encountered these in grade school.

I had an elementary school teacher that would draw a new rebus puzzle on the board each morning. The first student to successfully solve the puzzle would get a piece of Juicy Fruit chewing gum (and boy, was Juicy Fruit a hot commodity back then!).

The trick to rebus puzzles is understanding the mechanics of how they work. Rebus puzzles disguise a well-known turn of phrase you must deduce using the picture provided.

Many rebus puzzles are enclosed in square boxes but don’t be fooled. You’ll most definitely have to think outside the box for these bad boys.

Ready to try your hand at a few rebus puzzles? Here is a couple to get your neurons firing! (Scroll down for the answers.)

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

5 Printable Logic Puzzles to Try at Home

Logic puzzles come in all shapes and sizes. They’re a little different than rebus puzzles, though. To solve a rebus puzzle, you need to exercise lateral thinking or indirect logic.

Logic puzzles, however, utilize a more straightforward, analytical approach.

They can be a real doozy to deal with! The best way to tackle a logic puzzle is by moving methodically, step by step, through the potential solutions.

If you’re looking to try your hand at a few logic puzzles at home, here are a few printable logic puzzles to get you started:

#1: College degree logic puzzle

Inspired by www.cs.drexel.edu

#2: Ghost town logic puzzle

Inspired by www.education.com

#3: In the zoo logic puzzle

Inspired by www.SquiglysPlayhouse.com

#4: Thanksgiving logic puzzle

Inspired by www.education.com

#5: Favorite sports logic puzzle

Inspired by http://activeafterschool.ca

Rebus puzzle answer key

1. Too funny for words
2. For instance
3. H2O
4. Hop up and down