Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
Is there a best way to stack cans? What do different supermarkets do? How high can you safely stack the cans?
Take a rectangle of paper and fold it in half, and half again, to make four smaller rectangles. How many different ways can you fold it up?
Try continuing these patterns made from triangles. Can you create your own repeating pattern?
If you split the square into these two pieces, it is possible to fit the pieces together again to make a new shape. How many new shapes can you make?
This practical investigation invites you to make tessellating shapes in a similar way to the artist Escher.
Can you make the most extraordinary, the most amazing, the most unusual patterns/designs from these triangles which are made in a special way?
This problem focuses on Dienes' Logiblocs. What is the same and what is different about these pairs of shapes? Can you describe the shapes in the picture?
How many different cuboids can you make when you use four CDs or DVDs? How about using five, then six?
This was a problem for our birthday website. Can you use four of these pieces to form a square? How about making a square with all five pieces?
Use the three triangles to fill these outline shapes. Perhaps you can create some of your own shapes for a friend to fill?
How can you put five cereal packets together to make different shapes if you must put them face-to-face?
In how many ways can you fit two of these yellow triangles together? Can you predict the number of ways two blue triangles can be fitted together?
How can you arrange the 5 cubes so that you need the smallest number of Brush Loads of paint to cover them? Try with other numbers of cubes as well.
What is the smallest cuboid that you can put in this box so that you cannot fit another that's the same into it?
What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid below without four of them lying at the corners of a square?
An activity making various patterns with 2 x 1 rectangular tiles.
Here is a version of the game 'Happy Families' for you to make and play.
Using different numbers of sticks, how many different triangles are you able to make? Can you make any rules about the numbers of sticks that make the most triangles?
Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
Kate has eight multilink cubes. She has two red ones, two yellow, two green and two blue. She wants to fit them together to make a cube so that each colour shows on each face just once.
Take 5 cubes of one colour and 2 of another colour. How many different ways can you join them if the 5 must touch the table and the 2 must not touch the table?
Arrange 9 red cubes, 9 blue cubes and 9 yellow cubes into a large 3 by 3 cube. No row or column of cubes must contain two cubes of the same colour.
NRICH December 2006 advent calendar - a new tangram for each day in the run-up to Christmas.
What happens to the area of a square if you double the length of the sides? Try the same thing with rectangles, diamonds and other shapes. How do the four smaller ones fit into the larger one?
How many triangles can you make on the 3 by 3 pegboard?
Our 2008 Advent Calendar has a 'Making Maths' activity for every day in the run-up to Christmas.
A group of children are discussing the height of a tall tree. How would you go about finding out its height?
Explore the triangles that can be made with seven sticks of the same length.
Can you create more models that follow these rules?
What is the largest number of circles we can fit into the frame without them overlapping? How do you know? What will happen if you try the other shapes?
In this challenge, you will work in a group to investigate circular fences enclosing trees that are planted in square or triangular arrangements.
The ancient Egyptians were said to make right-angled triangles using a rope with twelve equal sections divided by knots. What other triangles could you make if you had a rope like this?
In this town, houses are built with one room for each person. There are some families of seven people living in the town. In how many different ways can they build their houses?
These pictures show squares split into halves. Can you find other ways?
We went to the cinema and decided to buy some bags of popcorn so we asked about the prices. Investigate how much popcorn each bag holds so find out which we might have bought.
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outlines of the lobster, yacht and cyclist?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outline of Wai Ping, Wah Ming and Chi Wing?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outline of this junk?
Can you recreate this Indian screen pattern? Can you make up similar patterns of your own?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outlines of the chairs?
If you'd like to know more about Primary Maths Masterclasses, this is the package to read! Find out about current groups in your region or how to set up your own.
Looking at the picture of this Jomista Mat, can you decribe what you see? Why not try and make one yourself?
This practical problem challenges you to create shapes and patterns with two different types of triangle. You could even try overlapping them.
Watch the video to see how to fold a square of paper to create a flower. What fraction of the piece of paper is the small triangle?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outline of the child walking home from school?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outline of Little Ming playing the board game?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outlines of these clocks?
Can you order pictures of the development of a frog from frogspawn and of a bean seed growing into a plant?
Follow the diagrams to make this patchwork piece, based on an octagon in a square.
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outline of this telephone?