Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
This project challenges you to work out the number of cubes hidden under a cloth. What questions would you like to ask?
A game in which players take it in turns to choose a number. Can you block your opponent?
Can you predict when you'll be clapping and when you'll be clicking if you start this rhythm? How about when a friend begins a new rhythm at the same time?
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?
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?
The Man is much smaller than us. Can you use the picture of him next to a mug to estimate his height and how much tea he drinks?
Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
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?
You have a set of the digits from 0 – 9. Can you arrange these in the 5 boxes to make two-digit numbers as close to the targets as possible?
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?
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?
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.
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
Ahmed is making rods using different numbers of cubes. Which rod is twice the length of his first rod?
Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.
An activity making various patterns with 2 x 1 rectangular tiles.
Use the three triangles to fill these outline shapes. Perhaps you can create some of your own shapes for a friend to fill?
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
If you have ten counters numbered 1 to 10, how many can you put into pairs that add to 10? Which ones do you have to leave out? Why?
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?
Are all the possible combinations of two shapes included in this set of 27 cards? How do you know?
In this article for teachers, Bernard uses some problems to suggest that once a numerical pattern has been spotted from a practical starting point, going back to the practical can help explain. . . .
Try continuing these patterns made from triangles. Can you create your own repeating pattern?
How many triangles can you make on the 3 by 3 pegboard?
Make an equilateral triangle by folding paper and use it to make patterns of your own.
These pictures show squares split into halves. Can you find other ways?
Make a spiral mobile.
Can you make the most extraordinary, the most amazing, the most unusual patterns/designs from these triangles which are made in a special way?
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?
How can you put five cereal packets together to make different shapes if you must put them face-to-face?
Here is a version of the game 'Happy Families' for you to make and play.
It might seem impossible but it is possible. How can you cut a playing card to make a hole big enough to walk through?
You could use just coloured pencils and paper to create this design, but it will be more eye-catching if you can get hold of hammer, nails and string.
A game to make and play based on the number line.
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.
NRICH December 2006 advent calendar - a new tangram for each day in the run-up to Christmas.
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?
In this challenge, you will work in a group to investigate circular fences enclosing trees that are planted in square or triangular arrangements.
Our 2008 Advent Calendar has a 'Making Maths' activity for every day in the run-up to Christmas.
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.
A brief video looking at how you can sometimes use symmetry to distinguish knots. Can you use this idea to investigate the differences between the granny knot and the reef knot?
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?
Explore the triangles that can be made with seven sticks of the same length.
Can you create more models that follow these rules?
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?
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?
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?
This practical investigation invites you to make tessellating shapes in a similar way to the artist Escher.
Can you order pictures of the development of a frog from frogspawn and of a bean seed growing into a plant?
Is there a best way to stack cans? What do different supermarkets do? How high can you safely stack the cans?