Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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?
Can you fill in this table square? The numbers 2 -12 were used to generate it with just one number used twice.
In a square in which the houses are evenly spaced, numbers 3 and 10 are opposite each other. What is the smallest and what is the largest possible number of houses in the square?
How many different shaped boxes can you design for 36 sweets in one layer? Can you arrange the sweets so that no sweets of the same colour are next to each other in any direction?
The planet of Vuvv has seven moons. Can you work out how long it is between each super-eclipse?
There is a clock-face where the numbers have become all mixed up. Can you find out where all the numbers have got to from these ten statements?
I throw three dice and get 5, 3 and 2. Add the scores on the three dice. What do you get? Now multiply the scores. What do you notice?
Can you work out the arrangement of the digits in the square so that the given products are correct? The numbers 1 - 9 may be used once and once only.
Can you order the digits from 1-6 to make a number which is divisible by 6 so when the last digit is removed it becomes a 5-figure number divisible by 5, and so on?
On the planet Vuv there are two sorts of creatures. The Zios have 3 legs and the Zepts have 7 legs. The great planetary explorer Nico counted 52 legs. How many Zios and how many Zepts were there?
Can you make square numbers by adding two prime numbers together?
The discs for this game are kept in a flat square box with a square hole for each disc. Use the information to find out how many discs of each colour there are in the box.
Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.
48 is called an abundant number because it is less than the sum of its factors (without itself). Can you find some more abundant numbers?
56 406 is the product of two consecutive numbers. What are these two numbers?
Starting with the number 180, take away 9 again and again, joining up the dots as you go. Watch out - don't join all the dots!
An environment which simulates working with Cuisenaire rods.
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?
If you have only four weights, where could you place them in order to balance this equaliser?
Complete the magic square using the numbers 1 to 25 once each. Each row, column and diagonal adds up to 65.
An investigation that gives you the opportunity to make and justify predictions.
Which is quicker, counting up to 30 in ones or counting up to 300 in tens? Why?
"Ip dip sky blue! Who's 'it'? It's you!" Where would you position yourself so that you are 'it' if there are two players? Three players ...?
What is the lowest number which always leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by each of the numbers from 2 to 10?
Arrange the four number cards on the grid, according to the rules, to make a diagonal, vertical or horizontal line.
When Charlie asked his grandmother how old she is, he didn't get a straightforward reply! Can you work out how old she is?
This big box multiplies anything that goes inside it by the same number. If you know the numbers that come out, what multiplication might be going on in the box?
How many different sets of numbers with at least four members can you find in the numbers in this box?
Factor track is not a race but a game of skill. The idea is to go round the track in as few moves as possible, keeping to the rules.
What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.
Ben’s class were making cutting up number tracks. First they cut them into twos and added up the numbers on each piece. What patterns could they see?
Nine squares with side lengths 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 18 cm can be fitted together to form a rectangle. What are the dimensions of the rectangle?
A game for 2 people using a pack of cards Turn over 2 cards and try to make an odd number or a multiple of 3.
Are these domino games fair? Can you explain why or why not?
There are a number of coins on a table. One quarter of the coins show heads. If I turn over 2 coins, then one third show heads. How many coins are there altogether?
Find the words hidden inside each of the circles by counting around a certain number of spaces to find each letter in turn.
Work out Tom's number from the answers he gives his friend. He will only answer 'yes' or 'no'.
Can you see how these factor-multiple chains work? Find the chain which contains the smallest possible numbers. How about the largest possible numbers?
Follow the clues to find the mystery number.
Is it possible to draw a 5-pointed star without taking your pencil off the paper? Is it possible to draw a 6-pointed star in the same way without taking your pen off?
There are ten children in Becky's group. Can you find a set of numbers for each of them? Are there any other sets?
Can you work out what a ziffle is on the planet Zargon?
A game for 2 or more people. Starting with 100, subratct a number from 1 to 9 from the total. You score for making an odd number, a number ending in 0 or a multiple of 6.
This article for teachers describes how number arrays can be a useful reprentation for many number concepts.
How can you use just one weighing to find out which box contains the lighter ten coins out of the ten boxes?
A mathematician goes into a supermarket and buys four items. Using a calculator she multiplies the cost instead of adding them. How can her answer be the same as the total at the till?
Can you complete this jigsaw of the multiplication square?
In this problem we are looking at sets of parallel sticks that cross each other. What is the least number of crossings you can make? And the greatest?
Given the products of adjacent cells, can you complete this Sudoku?
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...