Printable packing activity
Pentomino challenges
Cut out the twelve five-square pieces, then use every piece exactly once to fill rectangles and create symmetrical designs.
Cut-out pentominoes
Challenge board: 10 × 6 rectangle
- Find all twelve free pentominoes before cutting the sheet.
- Fill the 10 × 6 rectangle using every piece once.
- Sort the pieces by line symmetry and rotational symmetry.
- Choose two pieces and find every distinct way they can touch along a complete edge.
Teaching notes
The twelve pieces cover sixty unit squares, so any complete packing region must also have area sixty. Useful rectangles include 3 × 20, 4 × 15, 5 × 12 and 6 × 10.