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 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?
The letters in the following addition sum represent the digits 1 ... 9. If A=3 and D=2, what number is represented by "CAYLEY"?
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?
Find the values of the nine letters in the sum: FOOT + BALL = GAME
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five 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?
A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.
Can you find which shapes you need to put into the grid to make the totals at the end of each row and the bottom of each column?
There are nasty versions of this dice game but we'll start with the nice ones...
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
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!
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
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.
Here is a chance to play a version of the classic Countdown Game.
This article gives you a few ideas for understanding the Got It! game and how you might find a winning strategy.
If you have only four weights, where could you place them in order to balance this equaliser?
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?
Can you make a cycle of pairs that add to make a square number using all the numbers in the box below, once and once only?
A group of children are using measuring cylinders but they lose the labels. Can you help relabel them?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of rabbit there are in these pens?
Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square of another, larger, number.
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall of the prison block. How did he do it?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book. How many pages does the book have?
Try adding together the dates of all the days in one week. Now multiply the first date by 7 and add 21. Can you explain what happens?
This magic square has operations written in it, to make it into a maze. Start wherever you like, go through every cell and go out a total of 15!
How have the numbers been placed in this Carroll diagram? Which labels would you put on each row and column?
Can you put plus signs in so this is true? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 99 How many ways can you do it?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
This problem is based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
There were chews for 2p, mini eggs for 3p, Chocko bars for 5p and lollypops for 7p in the sweet shop. What could each of the children buy with their money?
Winifred Wytsh bought a box each of jelly babies, milk jelly bears, yellow jelly bees and jelly belly beans. In how many different ways could she make a jolly jelly feast with 32 legs?
You have 5 darts and your target score is 44. How many different ways could you score 44?
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square below so that each side adds to the same total.
Zumf makes spectacles for the residents of the planet Zargon, who have either 3 eyes or 4 eyes. How many lenses will Zumf need to make all the different orders for 9 families?
Look carefully at the numbers. What do you notice? Can you make another square using the numbers 1 to 16, that displays the same properties?
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.
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
A game for 2 people. Use your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to blast the asteroids.
Tim had nine cards each with a different number from 1 to 9 on it. How could he have put them into three piles so that the total in each pile was 15?
Start by putting one million (1 000 000) into the display of your calculator. Can you reduce this to 7 using just the 7 key and add, subtract, multiply, divide and equals as many times as you like?
There are 4 jugs which hold 9 litres, 7 litres, 4 litres and 2 litres. Find a way to pour 9 litres of drink from one jug to another until you are left with exactly 3 litres in three of the jugs.
Can you see why 2 by 2 could be 5? Can you predict what 2 by 10 will be?
A game for 2 or more players with a pack of cards. Practise your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to hit the target score.
Ten cards are put into five envelopes so that there are two cards in each envelope. The sum of the numbers inside it is written on each envelope. What numbers could be inside the envelopes?
An environment which simulates working with Cuisenaire rods.