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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?
These two group activities use mathematical reasoning - one is numerical, one geometric.
This challenge is to design different step arrangements, which must go along a distance of 6 on the steps and must end up at 6 high.
Penta people, the Pentominoes, always build their houses from five square rooms. I wonder how many different Penta homes you can create?
When intergalactic Wag Worms are born they look just like a cube. Each year they grow another cube in any direction. Find all the shapes that five-year-old Wag Worms can be.
How many shapes can you build from three red and two green cubes? Can you use what you've found out to predict the number for four red and two green?
In this investigation, you must try to make houses using cubes. If the base must not spill over 4 squares and you have 7 cubes which stand for 7 rooms, what different designs can you come up with?
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
Here are four cubes joined together. How many other arrangements of four cubes can you find? Can you draw them on dotty paper?
Arrange 9 red cubes, 9 blue cubes and 9 yellow cubes into a large 3 by 3 cube. No row or column of cubes must contain two cubes of the same colour.
Take 5 cubes of one colour and 2 of another colour. How many different ways can you join them if the 5 must touch the table and the 2 must not touch the table?
If you had 36 cubes, what different cuboids could you make?
How can you arrange the 5 cubes so that you need the smallest number of Brush Loads of paint to cover them? Try with other numbers of cubes as well.
A thoughtful shepherd used bales of straw to protect the area around his lambs. Explore how you can arrange the bales.
We start with one yellow cube and build around it to make a 3x3x3 cube with red cubes. Then we build around that red cube with blue cubes and so on. How many cubes of each colour have we used?
This challenge involves eight three-cube models made from interlocking cubes. Investigate different ways of putting the models together then compare your constructions.
Can you create more models that follow these rules?
Investigate the area of 'slices' cut off this cube of cheese. What would happen if you had different-sized block of cheese to start with?
We need to wrap up this cube-shaped present, remembering that we can have no overlaps. What shapes can you find to use?
Arrange your fences to make the largest rectangular space you can. Try with four fences, then five, then six etc.
Here are some pictures of 3D shapes made from cubes. Can you make these shapes yourself?
Can you mentally fit the 7 SOMA pieces together to make a cube? Can you do it in more than one way?
You have 27 small cubes, 3 each of nine colours. Use the small cubes to make a 3 by 3 by 3 cube so that each face of the bigger cube contains one of every colour.
I've made some cubes and some cubes with holes in. This challenge invites you to explore the difference in the number of small cubes I've used. Can you see any patterns?
Here are more buildings to picture in your mind's eye. Watch out - they become quite complicated!
How can you paint the faces of these eight cubes so they can be put together to make a 2 x 2 cube that is green all over AND a 2 x 2 cube that is yellow all over?
A 3x3x3 cube may be reduced to unit cubes in six saw cuts. If after every cut you can rearrange the pieces before cutting straight through, can you do it in fewer?