Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
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?
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
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?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
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...
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.
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?
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.
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?
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?
This cube has ink on each face which leaves marks on paper as it is rolled. Can you work out what is on each face and the route it has taken?
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?
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?
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?
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.
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?
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
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?
Rather than using the numbers 1-9, this sudoku uses the nine different letters used to make the words "Advent Calendar".
If you have only 40 metres of fencing available, what is the maximum area of land you can fence off?
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
Move your counters through this snake of cards and see how far you can go. Are you surprised by where you end up?
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
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.
A challenging activity focusing on finding all possible ways of stacking rods.
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
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?
There is a long tradition of creating mazes throughout history and across the world. This article gives details of mazes you can visit and those that you can tackle on paper.
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. . . .
A few extra challenges set by some young NRICH members.
An extra constraint means this Sudoku requires you to think in diagonals as well as horizontal and vertical lines and boxes of nine.
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
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. . . .
Given the products of adjacent cells, can you complete this Sudoku?
Countries from across the world competed in a sports tournament. Can you devise an efficient strategy to work out the order in which they finished?
A student in a maths class was trying to get some information from her teacher. She was given some clues and then the teacher ended by saying, "Well, how old are they?"
The letters in the following addition sum represent the digits 1 ... 9. If A=3 and D=2, what number is represented by "CAYLEY"?
Find the values of the nine letters in the sum: FOOT + BALL = GAME
A man has 5 coins in his pocket. Given the clues, can you work out what the coins are?
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?
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?
Four friends must cross a bridge. How can they all cross it in just 17 minutes?
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?