Printable Dots and Boxes grids
Pick a size, hit print, and tuck the sheets in the glovebox before anyone asks if we're there yet.
These printable Dots and Boxes grids are blank dot sheets you can make in any size from 3×3 to 10×10 boxes. Choose the width and height, press Print, and either send them to your printer or save them as a PDF for later.
Choose the width and height
Small grids for little hands and short waits, big ones for a long afternoon. Rectangles work too.
Press Print / Save as PDF
Your browser's print window opens. Pick a printer, or choose Save as PDF to keep a copy.
Grab two pens in different colors
Shading boxes in your own color makes the final count much quicker than writing initials.
Free printable Dots and Boxes for trips and rainy days
I keep a folder of these in the car. A stack of 5×5 sheets and two pens has rescued more ferry queues and restaurant waits than any tablet, and nobody has to charge anything. Print a few sizes at once, so there's a quick one for the youngest and a longer one for whoever thinks they're the family champion.
For the car, clip each sheet to a board or rest it on a hardback book. Pencils beat pens on the road, because you can rub out the line that went wonky over a bump.
Which Dots and Boxes grid size to print
A 3×3 grid has 16 dots and plays out in about two minutes, which suits five-year-olds and short waits. Ages eight and up usually settle on 5×5, with 25 boxes and room for real chains. Go to 8×8 or larger when you want one game to fill a whole lunch break; the 8×8 sheet that loads here has 64 boxes and 144 lines.
Not sure which size your crew will like? Play a round on the live board first, then print the one that felt right.
Printing Dots and Boxes game sheets for a class
For a whole class, print one sheet and photocopy it, or save the PDF and send it to the school printer. A 4×4 grid is the right size for a five-minute warm-up. Laminate a set, hand out dry-erase markers, and the same sheets will last the whole term.
There's nothing to sign up for and nothing to install. The grid is drawn right in your browser, so it works on the school laptop just as well as on your phone.
Who prints these
- Road trip in the morning
Print five 5×5 sheets tonight and clip them to a board with a pencil on a string.
- Power cut, phones low
A printed stack in a drawer keeps the games going by candlelight.
- Lesson cover for a colleague
Leave a pile of 4×4 sheets; they fill ten minutes with zero setup.
- Eating out with small kids
Fold a 3×3 sheet into a pocket and the wait for food is covered.
- Grandparents visiting
Paper feels familiar, and they'll probably teach the kids a trick or two.
- Screen-free weekend
Print a mix of sizes so every age gets a fair game.
Printing questions
Is there a free printable Dots and Boxes grid?
Every grid on this page is free to print, as often as you like. There's no email to hand over and no watermark on the sheet. Pick a size and print straight away.
How do I save the grid as a PDF?
Press Print / Save as PDF, then choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF on some Windows computers) as the printer. Your browser saves the file wherever you pick. It's handy for emailing to school or printing at the library later.
Will it print on A4 and US Letter paper?
The grid stretches to the width of whatever paper you choose, so both work. Set the paper size in the print window. If the edges get clipped, switch the scale to Fit to page.
What grid size is best to print?
For young children and short waits, 3×3 or 4×4. For most families and classes, 5×5 hits the sweet spot between quick and interesting. Print 8×8 to 10×10 when you want one long game.
How do you play Dots and Boxes on paper?
Players alternate, each adding a short line from one dot to its nearest neighbor. Whoever finishes a box writes their initial in it, or shades it, and draws again. When every box is claimed, count up; the rules page has a move-by-move example.
Can I laminate the sheets and reuse them?
Laminated grids work well with dry-erase markers and wipe clean in seconds. Teachers often make a class set this way so they only print once. Use thin-tip markers, since thick ones blur the dots on smaller grids.