Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square 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...
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?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
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.
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
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?
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?
Move your counters through this snake of cards and see how far you can go. Are you surprised by where you end up?
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?
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?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
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.
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
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?
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?
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.
If you have only 40 metres of fencing available, what is the maximum area of land you can fence off?
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
Label this plum tree graph to make it totally magic!
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?
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
Explore this how this program produces the sequences it does. What are you controlling when you change the values of the variables?
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. . . .
A Latin square of order n is an array of n symbols in which each symbol occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column.
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. . . .
You need to find the values of the stars before you can apply normal Sudoku rules.
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
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.
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?
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 clues as ratios.
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?
This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?
A Sudoku with a twist.
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the unknown digits (all indicated by asterisks) in the squares of the $9\times9$ grid.
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
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?
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 clues about the shaded areas to help solve this sudoku
In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
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.
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.