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Plants

Three children are going to buy some plants for their birthdays. They will plant them within circular paths. How could they do this?

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Junior Frogs

Have a go at this well-known challenge. Can you swap the frogs and toads in as few slides and jumps as possible?

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More Children and Plants

This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.

More Plant Spaces

Stage: 2 and 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

This activity has been particularly created for the most able. (The pupils that you come across in many classrooms just once every few years.) It is seen as a possible follow on from More Children and Plants.

 

Here we look at similar problems of distributing a certain number of items across a larger number of sets, each needing a particular number of items.
 

So, set yourself a challenge like;

"Distribute $15$ objects among four sets having $3$ in one, $4$ in another, $5$ in another and $6$ in the last."

Then take this further by having five sets with the extra set having just $1$ object.

You'll be able to think of your own examples too.

Perhaps most important is to formulate some generalisations that can tested.

 

One of the interesting and creative parts of this challenge may be to design the arrangement of sets. Here are some examples to start you off. Two for each of $4, 5$ and $6$ sets.
 

 

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.