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 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.
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?
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?
Using the 8 dominoes make a square where each of the columns and rows adds up to 8
Find the values of the nine letters in the sum: FOOT + BALL = GAME
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
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?
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"?
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?
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
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?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
Which times on a digital clock have a line of symmetry? Which look the same upside-down? You might like to try this investigation and find out!
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.
Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?
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?
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?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
Can you use the information to find out which cards I have used?
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
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?
Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same total. What was the total and how could this be done?
This article gives you a few ideas for understanding the Got It! game and how you might find a winning strategy.
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?
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?
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?
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book. How many pages does the book have?
Three children are going to buy some plants for their birthdays. They will plant them within circular paths. How could they do this?
Can you make square numbers by adding two prime numbers together?
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 game for 2 people. Use your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to blast the asteroids.
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?
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.
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.
Ben has five coins in his pocket. How much money might he have?
How have the numbers been placed in this Carroll diagram? Which labels would you put on each row and column?
A group of children are using measuring cylinders but they lose the labels. Can you help relabel them?
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!
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?
If you have only four weights, where could you place them in order to balance this equaliser?
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?
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
In this game, you can add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers on the dice. Which will you do so that you get to the end of the number line first?
Write the numbers up to 64 in an interesting way so that the shape they make at the end is interesting, different, more exciting ... than just a square.
Place the numbers from 1 to 9 in the squares below so that the difference between joined squares is odd. How many different ways can you do this?