Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
Can you put the numbers 1-5 in the V shape so that both 'arms' have the same total?
Can you substitute numbers for the letters in these sums?
What happens when you add three numbers together? Will your answer be odd or even? How do you know?
An investigation that gives you the opportunity to make and justify predictions.
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!
In the multiplication sum, some of the digits have been replaced by letters and others by asterisks. Can you reconstruct the original multiplication?
Use the clues to work out which cities Mohamed, Sheng, Tanya and Bharat live in.
This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.
This multiplication uses each of the digits 0 - 9 once and once only. Using the information given, can you replace the stars in the calculation with figures?
Only one side of a two-slice toaster is working. What is the quickest way to toast both sides of three slices of bread?
Problem solving is at the heart of the NRICH site. All the problems give learners opportunities to learn, develop or use mathematical concepts and skills. Read here for more information.
How many ways can you find to do up all four buttons on my coat? How about if I had five buttons? Six ...?
What can you say about these shapes? This problem challenges you to create shapes with different areas and perimeters.
What do the digits in the number fifteen add up to? How many other numbers have digits with the same total but no zeros?
Two children made up a game as they walked along the garden paths. Can you find out their scores? Can you find some paths of your own?
Tom and Ben visited Numberland. Use the maps to work out the number of points each of their routes scores.
This challenge is to design different step arrangements, which must go along a distance of 6 on the steps and must end up at 6 high.
Choose four different digits from 1-9 and put one in each box so that the resulting four two-digit numbers add to a total of 100.
Make a pair of cubes that can be moved to show all the days of the month from the 1st to the 31st.
Seven friends went to a fun fair with lots of scary rides. They decided to pair up for rides until each friend had ridden once with each of the others. What was the total number rides?
Look carefully at the numbers. What do you notice? Can you make another square using the numbers 1 to 16, that displays the same properties?
Can you replace the letters with numbers? Is there only one solution in each case?
Can you find the chosen number from the grid using the clues?
If these elves wear a different outfit every day for as many days as possible, how many days can their fun last?
Frances and Rishi were given a bag of lollies. They shared them out evenly and had one left over. How many lollies could there have been in the bag?
Use the information to describe these marbles. What colours must be on marbles that sparkle when rolling but are dark inside?
If you put three beads onto a tens/ones abacus you could make the numbers 3, 30, 12 or 21. What numbers can be made with six beads?
Let's suppose that you are going to have a magazine which has 16 pages of A5 size. Can you find some different ways to make these pages? Investigate the pattern for each if you number the pages.
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
Write the numbers up to 64 in an interesting way so that the shape they make at the end is interesting, different, more exciting ... than just a square.
How many different journeys could you make if you were going to visit four stations in this network? How about if there were five stations? Can you predict the number of journeys for seven stations?
Sweets are given out to party-goers in a particular way. Investigate the total number of sweets received by people sitting in different positions.
What is the date in February 2002 where the 8 digits are palindromic if the date is written in the British way?
The Vikings communicated in writing by making simple scratches on wood or stones called runes. Can you work out how their code works using the table of the alphabet?
Can you put plus signs in so this is true? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 99 How many ways can you do it?
Systematically explore the range of symmetric designs that can be created by shading parts of the motif below. Use normal square lattice paper to record your results.
Use the clues to find out who's who in the family, to fill in the family tree and to find out which of the family members are mathematicians and which are not.
Move from the START to the FINISH by moving across or down to the next square. Can you find a route to make these totals?
Zumf makes spectacles for the residents of the planet Zargon, who have either 3 eyes or 4 eyes. How many lenses will Zumf need to make all the different orders for 9 families?
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square below so that each side adds to the same total.
Hover your mouse over the counters to see which ones will be removed. Click to remover them. The winner is the last one to remove a counter. How you can make sure you win?
Can you help the children find the two triangles which have the lengths of two sides numerically equal to their areas?
An activity making various patterns with 2 x 1 rectangular tiles.
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
George and Jim want to buy a chocolate bar. George needs 2p more and Jim need 50p more to buy it. How much is the chocolate bar?
I was in my car when I noticed a line of four cars on the lane next to me with number plates starting and ending with J, K, L and M. What order were they in?
Roll two red dice and a green dice. Add the two numbers on the red dice and take away the number on the green. What are all the different possibilities that could come up?
Cut differently-sized square corners from a square piece of paper to make boxes without lids. Do they all have the same volume?
Can you draw a square in which the perimeter is numerically equal to the area?
When you throw two regular, six-faced dice you have more chance of getting one particular result than any other. What result would that be? Why is this?