Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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?
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two weighings of the balance?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
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.
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
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 25?
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?
A 2 by 3 rectangle contains 8 squares and a 3 by 4 rectangle contains 20 squares. What size rectangle(s) contain(s) exactly 100 squares? Can you find them all?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
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?
My two digit number is special because adding the sum of its digits to the product of its digits gives me my original number. What could my number be?
If you have only 40 metres of fencing available, what is the maximum area of land you can fence off?
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
Find a cuboid (with edges of integer values) that has a surface area of exactly 100 square units. Is there more than one? Can you find them all?
Draw some isosceles triangles with an area of $9$cm$^2$ and a vertex at (20,20). If all the vertices must have whole number coordinates, how many is it possible to draw?
Ben passed a third of his counters to Jack, Jack passed a quarter of his counters to Emma and Emma passed a fifth of her counters to Ben. After this they all had the same number of counters.
Play the divisibility game to create numbers in which the first two digits make a number divisible by 2, the first three digits make a number divisible by 3...
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
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.
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?
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
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.
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
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.
Label this plum tree graph to make it totally magic!
This Sudoku requires you to do some working backwards before working forwards.
How have "Warmsnug" arrived at the prices shown on their windows? Which window has been given an incorrect price?
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
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?
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?
If you take a three by three square on a 1-10 addition square and multiply the diagonally opposite numbers together, what is the difference between these products. Why?
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?
This package contains a collection of problems from the NRICH website that could be suitable for students who have a good understanding of Factors and Multiples and who feel ready to take on some. . . .
This challenging activity involves finding different ways to distribute fifteen items among four sets, when the sets must include three, four, five and six items.
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.
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. . . .
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
A Sudoku with clues as ratios.
The puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers which are either placed on the border lines between selected pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid or placed after slash marks on. . . .
A Sudoku with a twist.
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
A challenging activity focusing on finding all possible ways of stacking rods.
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?
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?