Some of the best and most popular video games are those Nintendo classics from the 1980s. This Tetris printable game is a fun screen-free way for kids (and adults) to play this family favorite.
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I’ve been wanting to make a paper Tetris game since I made my printable tangrams cards. Tetris is definitely my childhood favorite and one that I still play with my kids on our old NES console.
Even if your kids don’t play video games, this is a fun matching activity for kids of all ages. There is no reading required, just lining up the shapes in different ways to make them fit on the board. You can even incorporate this into a STEAM activity.
How to play Tetris
Classic version
You can play the classic electronic game version online.
In the classic Tetris arcade and video game, each of the different shapes falls from the top of the screen towards the bottom. You can rotate it in any direction to get them to line up at the bottom. When a horizontal row is full, it disappears. If you leave a hole, it won’t disappear. The game ends when the screen is full.
Of course, it won’t work quite like that on paper.
Paper version
If you’re playing solo then one set of pieces might be enough. You could print two sets and shuffle them to make it more challenging. If you’re playing with several people, I recommend printing one board and 3 or more pages of the pieces.
Put the pieces in a draw pile at the top of the board and let players take turns drawing a piece from the top of the pile and trying to fill the page from the bottom up. You can rotate a piece in any direction to make it fit.
As the board fills up, move the pieces down manually to make them “drop off” at the bottom of the page as in the electronic version. For a shorter game, just play until the board is full.
This would be an easy game to add to a road trip binder or take while traveling for some screen-free entertainment. A few readers have said they’re using this in a STEM or STEAM activity center in their classrooms.
Get the printable
This printable game includes seven pieces (fit twice on a page for a total of 14) and a game board.
I printed my game on 8.5×11 inch card stock. This makes each square about an inch across so you could scale it down to print smaller if you wanted the game to be tiny.
There are 2 ways to get this printable:
1. Pay what you can and download just this item using the Gumroad form below. (Type 0 to download for free. Suggested $3+ helps me keep making printables.) Enter your email address to get instant access and also have it sent to your inbox.
2. Join The Printables Library for a one-time fee that gives you access to all current and future printables! If you’re already a member, you can find this file there now.
For troubleshooting tips and frequently asked questions, read the Printables FAQ Help Guide.
Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
Thanks for your printables. I will be using them for a library STEM program about shapes. I printed the Tangrams one too. Thanks so much.
Fantastic! If you have ideas for other STEM activity printables, I’m also looking for suggestions.
I have never played Tetris. I am a little confused. Does every child get one of each of the seven pieces or two of each piece? Also if playing solo what size is the wakeboard? If two playing ? 3 or 4? Thank you for your help. I think the kids will really enjoy this.
The video game version is for one player, so for a multiplayer version, you can really make up your own rules. This post was inspired by my printable tangrams.
In the video game, each piece falls from the top of the screen towards the bottom. You can rotate it in any direction to get them to line up at the bottom. When a horizontal row is full, it disappears. If you leave a hole, it won’t disappear. The game ends when the screen is full.
Of course, it won’t work quite like that on paper. If you’re playing with several children, I recommend printing one board and 2 or 3 pages of the pieces. Put the pieces in a draw pile at the top of the board and let the children take turns drawing a piece and trying to fill the page from the bottom up. As the board fills up, you could move the pieces down manually to make them “drop off” at the bottom of the page.
All of my printables are intended for regular 8.5″x11″ paper.
I hope that helps!
Thank you!
My kids at after school Y loved the Tetris game! A few had played it or their parents had. Thanks again and I signed up for your other ideas also.
Thank your for creating the tetris and tangrams, and for making them free! I have been looking for some simple and easy to implement ideas for morning STEAM bins (instead of paper pencil tasks) and these will work great to stimulate their minds and still be fun!
Fantastic! If you have any other fun ideas for printables, I’m always looking for suggestions.
Can the pieces fill up? It looks only to fill eight lines.
Thank you for creating this. It is great for my first graders. They love this challenge without having screen time..
To fill up the whole grid, you’ll just need to print more than one page of the pieces.
This is amazing as a stem instructor I am always trying to involve games with my lesson plans thank you! It is greatly appreciated
Thanks, Ernie! My kids both attend a STEM academy and they love this type of learning.
Excelente o formato para impressão.
ok
I WANT THEM