Be a mathematician!

Successful mathematicians understand and use mathematical ideas and methods, solve problems, explain and justify their thinking, and have a positive attitude towards learning mathematics.

Exploring, questioning, working systematically, visualising, conjecturing, explaining, generalising, convincing, proving... are all at the heart of mathematical thinking. The activities below are designed to give you the opportunity to think and work as a mathematician.

For problems arranged by mathematical topics, see our Topics in Primary Mathematics page

For problems arranged by mathematical mindsets, see our Mathematical Mindsets page

list

Working Systematically - Primary Students

Age

5 to 11

Mathematicians try to work systematically so they can see how they worked something out, and see patterns which messy work might not reveal. Here's a selection of tasks where having good ways to sort and organise can be very helpful.

list

Saying what you see - Lower Primary Students

Age

5 to 7

You and your friends are probably quite good at imagining things and seeing things in lots of different ways. Here you'll put that to use in doing some maths challenges.

list

What can you find out? - Lower Primary

Age

5 to 7

Have a go at exploring as you look at these challenges, maybe with others. Talk about how it is going and if a slip-up occurs, then find a way out!

list

What if ... ? - Lower Primary Students

Age

5 to 7

Here are some exciting activities for you - have a go at them and then see what happens if you change one of the little questions. You may be able to change it more than just once!