Puzzle types of every hue,
Signs and pictures give a clue,
Letters, numbers, symbols, too,
Help your brain go solving thru

Number puzzles have been around for at least a couple hundred years. Some appeared in French newspapers in the late 19th Century when French puzzle setters began experimenting with removing numbers from "magic squares." Reportedly, the newspaper La France, printed a puzzle in 1886 that was almost a modern Sudoku.

According to Wikipedia, Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect, most likely designed the modern Sudoku anonymously. It was first published in 1979 by Dell Magazines as Number Place, the earliest known examples of modern Sudoku. Nikoli introduced the puzzle in Japan in April of 1984 in the paper Monthly Nikolist. Since then, variations abound. There is something for everyone, almost, although not everyone likes this type of Brain-Aerobic Exercise. If it's not your cup of tea, there's plenty of other ways to stimulate and challenge your brain.

Select from the Brain Q Puzzles listed below. The puzzle may use numbers, symbols, or letters of the alphabet that spell a word. The object is to complete each grid so that every 3-by-3 box (there are 9 such boxes in each puzzle), every row, and every column contain the letters, numbers, or symbols—used only once.

Print out a puzzle and carry it around with you. Work on it whenever you have a few minutes. It's can be an age-proofing way to occupy your brain when you are forced to wait....

To view the solutions to the Brain Q Puzzles, first access the puzzle. There is a link to the solution below the puzzle. To toggle between the solution and the puzzle, use the back and forward buttons on your web browser.