Logic Puzzles in EFL

Logic puzzles are a close relative of receptive drill since learners are thinking about finding a solution to a problem but are meanwhile seeing an abundance of sentences showing the same pattern or patterns.

Usually in my logic puzzles you call up a succession of clues in order to fill in an array of facts. One example of is this TRIP in which you have to work out the itinerary of a bus tour from a set of clues. This is still under development; the logic needs sharpening, but it will give an impression of the type of exercise that can be created.

SEESAW is a simple game in which you have to deduce the weights of a group of children by placing them on a seesaw. There are six children and you can choose between seeing three weights in advance (EASY), or two (MODERATE) or just one, leaving you to find five weights (HARD).

You can also try this game in FRENCH.

I hope soon to rebuild a cross-platform version of a puzzle I wrote many years ago called TRACK in which stations on a suburban railway map have to be identified. Meanwhile I can offer a Windows-only version of TRACK which you can download from here. It looks rather retro, and you should ignore all the printer options, but it is still a fun puzzle.

Page last updated 26 July 2026