Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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.
Three children are going to buy some plants for their birthdays. They will plant them within circular paths. How could they do this?
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
The letters in the following addition sum represent the digits 1 ... 9. If A=3 and D=2, what number is represented by "CAYLEY"?
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?
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?
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
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different 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?
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 problem is based on a code using two different prime numbers less than 10. You'll need to multiply them together and shift the alphabet forwards by the result. Can you decipher the code?
Put the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 into the squares so that the numbers on each circle add up to the same amount. Can you find the rule for giving another set of six numbers?
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
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?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
How could you arrange at least two dice in a stack so that the total of the visible spots is 18?
Can you use the information to find out which cards I have used?
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?
We can arrange dots in a similar way to the 5 on a dice and they usually sit quite well into a rectangular shape. How many altogether in this 3 by 5? What happens for other sizes?
Ben has five coins in his pocket. How much money might he have?
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book. How many pages does the book have?
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.
If you had any number of ordinary dice, what are the possible ways of making their totals 6? What would the product of the dice be each time?
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!
In a Magic Square all the rows, columns and diagonals add to the 'Magic Constant'. How would you change the magic constant of this square?
A group of children are using measuring cylinders but they lose the labels. Can you help relabel them?
Suppose there is a train with 24 carriages which are going to be put together to make up some new trains. Can you find all the ways that this can be done?
Explore Alex's number plumber. What questions would you like to ask? What do you think is happening to the numbers?
Can you make square numbers by adding two prime numbers together?
Place this "worm" on the 100 square and find the total of the four squares it covers. Keeping its head in the same place, what other totals can you make?
Ram divided 15 pennies among four small bags. He could then pay any sum of money from 1p to 15p without opening any bag. How many pennies did Ram put in each bag?
Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?
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?
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?
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
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!
These two group activities use mathematical reasoning - one is numerical, one geometric.
A game for 2 people. Use your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to blast the asteroids.
Choose four different digits from 1-9 and put one in each box so that the resulting four two-digit numbers add to a total of 100.
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square below so that each side adds to the same total.
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?
What happens when you add three numbers together? Will your answer be odd or even? How do you know?
There are 44 people coming to a dinner party. There are 15 square tables that seat 4 people. Find a way to seat the 44 people using all 15 tables, with no empty places.
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?
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?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of rabbit there are in these pens?