Magic Square Card Puzzles

Check out this problem solving activity! Your student will need to use his knowledge of basic addition facts in order to solve these puzzles. Get out a deck of playing cards, and you'll be ready to start. Create a "magic square," or a square made up of numbers in which all rows, columns, and diagonals add up to the same amount. Look at the instructions below for some challenging suggestions.

What You Need:

• One deck of playing cards (Print a deck.)

What You Do:

1. Using a deck of playing cards, create a 3 x 3 array so that the sum of each row, column, and diagonal is the same. You may use one one joker, and have it equal zero. Jacks = 11, queens = 12, and kings = 13.
2. Try creating the following sums:

• Using the ace through 8 of one suit, and a joker, create the sum of 12.
• Using the ace through 9 of one suit, create the sum of 15.
• Using the 2 through 10 of one suit, create the sum of 18.
• Using the 3 through jack of one suit, create the sum of 21.
• Using the 4 through queen of one suit, create the sum of 24.
• Using the 5 through king of one suit, create the sum of 27.