Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
Find all the numbers that can be made by adding the dots on two dice.
Ten cards are put into five envelopes so that there are two cards in each envelope. The sum of the numbers inside it is written on each envelope. What numbers could be inside the envelopes?
If you hang two weights on one side of this balance, in how many different ways can you hang three weights on the other side for it to be balanced?
Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same total. What was the total and how could this be done?
Place six toy ladybirds into the box so that there are two ladybirds in every column and every row.
Tim had nine cards each with a different number from 1 to 9 on it. How could he have put them into three piles so that the total in each pile was 15?
Using the cards 2, 4, 6, 8, +, - and =, what number statements can you make?
This problem is based on a code using two different prime numbers less than 10. You'll need to multiply them together and shift the alphabet forwards by the result. Can you decipher the code?
Place the numbers 1 to 6 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
Can you use the information to find out which cards I have used?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
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.
In how many ways could Mrs Beeswax put ten coins into her three puddings so that each pudding ended up with at least two coins?
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?
A game for 2 people. Take turns placing a counter on the star. You win when you have completed a line of 3 in your colour.
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?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of rabbit there are in these pens?
What do the digits in the number fifteen add up to? How many other numbers have digits with the same total but no zeros?
There are 44 people coming to a dinner party. There are 15 square tables that seat 4 people. Find a way to seat the 44 people using all 15 tables, with no empty places.
Find your way through the grid starting at 2 and following these operations. What number do you end on?
Lolla bought a balloon at the circus. She gave the clown six coins to pay for it. What could Lolla have paid for the balloon?
This magic square has operations written in it, to make it into a maze. Start wherever you like, go through every cell and go out a total of 15!
Suppose we allow ourselves to use three numbers less than 10 and multiply them together. How many different products can you find? How do you know you've got them all?
Find the product of the numbers on the routes from A to B. Which route has the smallest product? Which the largest?
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
This problem is based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
Ben has five coins in his pocket. How much money might he have?
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?
There are 4 jugs which hold 9 litres, 7 litres, 4 litres and 2 litres. Find a way to pour 9 litres of drink from one jug to another until you are left with exactly 3 litres in three of the jugs.
Can you substitute numbers for the letters in these sums?
Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square of another, larger, number.
Can you put the 25 coloured tiles into the 5 x 5 square so that no column, no row and no diagonal line have tiles of the same colour in them?
How could you put eight beanbags in the hoops so that there are four in the blue hoop, five in the red and six in the yellow? Can you find all the ways of doing this?
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?
This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
Can you find which shapes you need to put into the grid to make the totals at the end of each row and the bottom of each column?
Your challenge is to find the longest way through the network following this rule. You can start and finish anywhere, and with any shape, as long as you follow the correct order.
In this challenge, buckets come in five different sizes. If you choose some buckets, can you investigate the different ways in which they can be filled?
What do you notice about the date 03.06.09? Or 08.01.09? This challenge invites you to investigate some interesting dates yourself.
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?
In this problem it is not the squares that jump, you do the jumping! The idea is to go round the track in as few jumps as possible.
How could you arrange at least two dice in a stack so that the total of the visible spots is 18?
Sweets are given out to party-goers in a particular way. Investigate the total number of sweets received by people sitting in different positions.
Have a go at this well-known challenge. Can you swap the frogs and toads in as few slides and jumps as possible?
Using all ten cards from 0 to 9, rearrange them to make five prime numbers. Can you find any other ways of doing it?
There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall of the prison block. How did he do it?
You have two egg timers. One takes 4 minutes exactly to empty and the other takes 7 minutes. What times in whole minutes can you measure and how?
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book. How many pages does the book have?
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?