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 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?
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.
Can you see why 2 by 2 could be 5? Can you predict what 2 by 10 will be?
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?
Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
Choose a symbol to put into the number sentence.
This challenge is a game for two players. Choose two numbers from the grid and multiply or divide, then mark your answer on the number line. Can you get four in a row before your partner?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?
Use the information about Sally and her brother to find out how many children there are in the Brown family.
Claire thinks she has the most sports cards in her album. "I have 12 pages with 2 cards on each page", says Claire. Ross counts his cards. "No! I have 3 cards on each of my pages and there are. . . .
Use this grid to shade the numbers in the way described. Which numbers do you have left? Do you know what they are called?
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!
Can you arrange 5 different digits (from 0 - 9) in the cross in the way described?
Work out Tom's number from the answers he gives his friend. He will only answer 'yes' or 'no'.
Find the product of the numbers on the routes from A to B. Which route has the smallest product? Which the largest?
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!
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?
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?
Put operations signs between the numbers 3 4 5 6 to make the highest possible number and lowest possible number.
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?
Can you work out how many flowers there will be on the Amazing Splitting Plant after it has been growing for six weeks?
What is the lowest number which always leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by each of the numbers from 2 to 10?
Here is a chance to play a version of the classic Countdown Game.
What do you notice about the date 03.06.09? Or 08.01.09? This challenge invites you to investigate some interesting dates yourself.
An old game but lots of arithmetic!
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?
Which is quicker, counting up to 30 in ones or counting up to 300 in tens? Why?
Can you work out what a ziffle is on the planet Zargon?
Look at what happens when you take a number, square it and subtract your answer. What kind of number do you get? Can you prove it?
At the beginning of May Tom put his tomato plant outside. On the same day he sowed a bean in another pot. When will the two be the same height?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of rabbit there are in these pens?
Can you fill in this table square? The numbers 2 -12 were used to generate it with just one number used twice.
Can you complete this jigsaw of the multiplication square?
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.
Twizzle, a female giraffe, needs transporting to another zoo. Which route will give the fastest journey?
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.
Can you see how these factor-multiple chains work? Find the chain which contains the smallest possible numbers. How about the largest possible numbers?
There were 22 legs creeping across the web. How many flies? How many spiders?
Annie and Ben are playing a game with a calculator. What was Annie's secret number?
A group of children are using measuring cylinders but they lose the labels. Can you help relabel them?
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?
These eleven shapes each stand for a different number. Can you use the multiplication sums to work out what they are?
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.
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?
56 406 is the product of two consecutive numbers. What are these two numbers?
Cherri, Saxon, Mel and Paul are friends. They are all different ages. Can you find out the age of each friend using the information?
Imagine a pyramid which is built in square layers of small cubes. If we number the cubes from the top, starting with 1, can you picture which cubes are directly below this first cube?
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?
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?