
Whenever a monkey has peaches, he always keeps a fraction of them each day, gives the rest away, and then eats one. How long could he make his peaches last for?

Draw some isosceles triangles with an area of 9 cm squared and a vertex at (20,20). If all the vertices must have whole number coordinates, how many is it possible to draw?

The idea of this game is to add or subtract the two numbers on the dice and cover the result on the grid, trying to get a line of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?

Find the values of the nine letters in the sum: FOOT + BALL = GAME

Starting with four different triangles, imagine you have an unlimited number of each type. How many different tetrahedra can you make? Convince us you have found them all.

An extra constraint means this Sudoku requires you to think in diagonals as well as horizontal and vertical lines and boxes of nine.

Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?

An irregular tetrahedron is composed of four different triangles. Can such a tetrahedron be constructed where the side lengths are 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 units of length?

Rather than using the numbers 1-9, this sudoku uses the nine different letters used to make the words "Advent Calendar".

A cinema has 100 seats. Show how it is possible to sell exactly 100 tickets and take exactly £100 if the prices are £10 for adults, 50p for pensioners and 10p for children.

The number of plants in Mr McGregor's magic potting shed increases overnight. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of his gardens, planting one garden each day. How can he do it?

Mr McGregor has a magic potting shed. Overnight, the number of plants in it doubles. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of three gardens, planting one garden each day. Can he do it?

Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?

Using the same starter numbers 2, 1, 4 and 6 can you get a larger total at the top of the pyramid? What is the largest total you can get?

Find out what a "fault-free" rectangle is and try to make some of your own.

An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
The NRICH team are always looking for new ways to engage teachers and pupils in problem solving. Here we explain the thinking behind maths trails.

A package contains a set of resources designed to develop students’ mathematical thinking. This package places a particular emphasis on “being systematic” and is designed to meet. . . .

Use the interactivity to play two of the bells in a pattern. How do you know when it is your turn to ring, and how do you know which bell to ring?

The letters of the word ABACUS have been arranged in the shape of a triangle. How many different ways can you find to read the word ABACUS from this triangular pattern?

Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!

Find the smallest whole number which, when mutiplied by 7, gives a product consisting entirely of ones.

Use the interactivity to listen to the bells ringing a pattern. Now it's your turn! Play one of the bells yourself. How do you know when it is your turn to ring?

There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Can you find six numbers to go in the Daisy from which you can make all the numbers from 1 to a number bigger than 35?

Ever thought of playing three dimensional Noughts and Crosses? This problem might help you visualise what's involved.

Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?

Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?

Charlie and Lynne put a counter on 42. They wondered if they could visit all the other numbers on their 1-100 board, moving the counter using just these two operations: x2 and -5. What do you think?

When newspaper pages get separated at home we have to try to sort them out and get things in the correct order. How many ways can we arrange these pages so that the numbering may be different?

You have 4 red and 5 blue counters. How many ways can they be placed on a 3 by 3 grid so that all the rows columns and diagonals have an even number of red counters?

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.

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?

The Zargoes use almost the same alphabet as English. What does this birthday message say?

This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?

Only one side of a two-slice toaster is working. What is the quickest way to toast both sides of three slices of bread?

Sitting around a table are three girls and three boys. Use the clues to work out were each person is sitting.

Eight playing cards lie face down on the table in the positions shown in the diagram. Can you work out where the Ace(s), King(s), Queen(s) and Jack(s) are?

Can you find all the different triangles on these peg boards, and find their angles?

Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.

Many numbers can be expressed as the sum of two or more consecutive integers. For example, 15=7+8 and 10=1+2+3+4. Can you say which numbers can be expressed in this way?

Make a pair of cubes that can be moved to show all the days of the month from the 1st to the 31st.

What do the numbers shaded in blue on this hundred square have in common? What do you notice about the pink numbers? How about the shaded numbers in the other squares?

You cannot choose a selection of ice cream flavours that includes totally what someone has already chosen. Have a go and find all the different ways in which seven children can have ice cream.

A Sudoku that uses transformations as supporting clues.

If we had 16 light bars which digital numbers could we make? How will you know you've found them all?

A merchant brings four bars of gold to a jeweller. How can the jeweller use the scales just twice to identify the lighter, fake bar?