Jolt · Skill Builder
Nine Dots
The famous 'think outside the box' puzzle. Reveals the rules we invent for ourselves.
7 minutes · Individuals
Use this activity in the Studio →How to facilitate it
- Show a 3×3 grid of dots.
- Connect all nine with four straight lines without lifting the pen.
- Reveal: the lines must leave the invisible box.
Credit & lineage
Early published versions are associated with Sam Loyd and A. Cyril Pearson (1907).
Historical publication credit, not proof of joint invention. The reference links to the early publications. No ownership claim is made for the generic puzzle.
Historical reference: Nine dots puzzle, publications and citations ↗
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