List

Being collaborative - Primary all resources

I'm Eight
problem

I'm eight

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Find a great variety of ways of asking questions which make 8.
Double or Halve?
problem

Double or halve?

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Throw the dice and decide whether to double or halve the number. Will you be the first to reach the target?
Sort them out (1)
problem

Sort them out (1)

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
Jig Shapes
problem

Jig shapes

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you each work out what shape you have part of on your card? What will the rest of it look like?

The add and take-away path
problem

The add and take-away path

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Two children made up a game as they walked along the garden paths. Can you find out their scores? Can you find some paths of your own?
Dicey Addition
problem

Dicey addition

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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In these addition games, you'll need to think strategically to get closest to the target.

Even and odd
problem

Even and odd

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This activity is best done with a whole class or in a large group. Can you match the cards? What happens when you add pairs of the numbers together?
Paper Partners
problem

Paper partners

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you describe a piece of paper clearly enough for your partner to know which piece it is?

Order, Order!
problem

Order, order!

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you place these quantities in order from smallest to largest?

Always, Sometimes or Never?
problem

Always, sometimes or never?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Are these statements relating to odd and even numbers always true, sometimes true or never true?

Same Length Trains
problem

Same length trains

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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How many trains can you make which are the same length as Matt's and Katie's, using rods that are identical?
Let's Investigate Triangles
problem

Let's investigate triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Vincent and Tara are making triangles with the class construction set. They have a pile of strips of different lengths. How many different triangles can they make?

What is the time?
problem

What is the time?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you put these times on the clocks in order? You might like to arrange them in a circle.
Always, Sometimes or Never? KS1
problem

Always, sometimes or never? KS1

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Are these statements relating to calculation and properties of shapes always true, sometimes true or never true?

Are you well Balanced?
problem

Are you well balanced?

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you work out how to make each side of this balance equally balanced? You can put more than one weight on a hook.
problem

Four triangles puzzle

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Cut four triangles from a square as shown in the picture. How many different shapes can you make by fitting the four triangles back together?

Cover the Camel
problem

Cover the camel

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you cover the camel with these pieces?

Number match
problem

Number match

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.

Fraction Match
problem

Fraction match

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.

Half Time
problem

Half time

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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What could the half time scores have been in these Olympic hockey matches?
Seeing Squares
problem

Seeing squares

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a square.

Discuss and Choose
problem

Discuss and choose

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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This activity challenges you to decide on the 'best' number to use in each statement. You may need to do some estimating, some calculating and some research.

Carroll Diagrams
problem

Carroll diagrams

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Use the interactivities to fill in these Carroll diagrams. How do you know where to place the numbers?

Domino Sorting
problem

Domino sorting

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Try grouping the dominoes in the ways described. Are there any left over each time? Can you explain why?
I Like ...
problem

I like ...

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Mr Gilderdale is playing a game with his class. What rule might he have chosen? How would you test your idea?
Biscuit Decorations
problem

Biscuit decorations

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Andrew decorated 20 biscuits to take to a party. He lined them up and put icing on every second biscuit and different decorations on other biscuits. How many biscuits weren't decorated?
Next Domino
problem

Next domino

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Which comes next in each pattern of dominoes?
All Change
problem

All change

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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There are three versions of this challenge. The idea is to change the colour of all the spots on the grid. Can you do it in fewer throws of the dice?

Thirsty?
problem

Thirsty?

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you lay out the pictures of the drinks in the way described by the clue cards?

problem

Poly plug pattern

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Create a pattern on the small grid. How could you extend your pattern on the larger grid?

One Big Triangle
problem

One big triangle

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Make one big triangle so the numbers that touch on the small triangles add to 10.

Data shapes
problem

Data shapes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Sara and Will were sorting some pictures of shapes on cards. "I'll collect the circles," said Sara. "I'll take the red ones," answered Will. Can you see any cards they would both want?

Eightness of Eight
problem

Eightness of eight

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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What do you see as you watch this video? Can you create a similar video for the number 12?
Growing Garlic
problem

Growing garlic

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Ben and his mum are planting garlic. Can you find out how many cloves of garlic they might have had?

How Tall?
problem

How tall?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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A group of children are discussing the height of a tall tree. How would you go about finding out its height?

Birthday Sharing
problem

Birthday sharing

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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It's Sahila's birthday and she is having a party. How could you answer these questions using a picture, with things, with numbers or symbols?
Matching Triangles
problem

Matching triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you sort these triangles into three different families and explain how you did it?

Sticky Data
problem

Sticky data

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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You'll need to work in a group on this problem. Use your sticky notes to show the answer to questions such as 'how many girls are there in your group?'.
Tables Teaser
problem

Tables teaser

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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How will you work out which numbers have been used to create this multiplication square?
En-counters
problem

En-counters

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.

Two flowers with the numbers 15 and 16 on them
problem

Butterfly flowers

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you find two butterflies to go on each flower so that the numbers on each pair of butterflies adds to the number on their flower?

If the World Were a Village
problem

If the world were a village

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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This activity is based on data in the book 'If the World Were a Village'. How will you represent your chosen data for maximum effect?

Digit Addition
problem

Digit addition

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Try out this number trick. What happens with different starting numbers? What do you notice?

Ordering cards
problem

Ordering cards

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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This problem is designed to help children to learn, and to use, the two and three times tables.
How Many?
problem

How many?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Have a look at these photos of different fruit. How many do you see? How did you count?
Shapely Lines
problem

Shapely lines

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This challenge invites you to create your own picture using just straight lines. Can you identify shapes with the same number of sides and decorate them in the same way?

Ip Dip
problem

Ip dip

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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"Ip dip sky blue! Who's 'it'? It's you!" Where would you position yourself so that you are 'it' if there are two players? Three players ...?

Domino Sequences
problem

Domino sequences

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Find the next two dominoes in these sequences.
That number square
problem

That number square

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Exploring the structure of a number square: how quickly can you put the number tiles in the right place on the grid?
Fruity Pairs
problem

Fruity pairs

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Which two items of fruit could Kate and Sam choose? Can you order the prices from lowest to highest?

Break it up!
problem

Break it up!

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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In how many different ways can you break up a stick of seven interlocking cubes? Now try with a stick of eight cubes and a stick of six cubes. What do you notice?

Snap
problem

Snap

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Try this version of Snap with a friend - do you know the order of the days of the week?
How do you see it?
problem

How do you see it?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Here are some short problems for you to try. Talk to your friends about how you work them out.

Subtraction Slip
problem

Subtraction slip

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you spot the mistake in this video? How would you work out the answer to this calculation?
Can you do \it too?
problem

Can you do it too?

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Try some throwing activities and see whether you can throw something as far as the Olympic hammer or discus throwers.

problem

Venn diagrams

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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How will you complete these interactive Venn diagrams?

What's in a Name?
problem

What's in a name?

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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What do you notice about these squares of numbers? What is the same? What is different?
Equivalent Pairs
problem

Equivalent pairs

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you match pairs of cards which show the same amount?
problem

Robot monsters

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Use these head, body and leg pieces to make Robot Monsters which are different heights.

Strike it out
problem

Strike it out

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Use your addition and subtraction skills, combined with some strategic thinking, to beat your partner at this game.

Dicey Array
game
Favourite

Dicey array

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Watch the video of this game being played. Can you work out the rules? Which dice totals are good to get, and why?

Matching Time
problem

Matching time

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Try this matching game which will help you recognise different ways of saying the same time interval.

Cuisenaire Counting
problem

Cuisenaire counting

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Here are some rods that are different colours. How could I make a yellow rod using white and red rods?
Placeholder: several colourful numbers
project

How many?

This project challenges you to work out the number of cubes hidden under a cloth. What questions would you like to ask?

Ring a Ring of Numbers
problem

Ring a ring of numbers

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Choose four of the numbers from 1 to 9 to put in the squares so that the differences between joined squares are odd.
Five Coins
problem

Five coins

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Ben has five coins in his pocket. How much money might he have?
6 Beads
problem

6 beads

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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If you put three beads onto a tens/ones abacus you can make the numbers 3, 30, 12 or 21. What numbers can be made with six beads?

Jumping squares
problem

Jumping squares

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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In this problem it is not the squares that jump, you do the jumping! The idea is to go round the track in as few jumps as possible.
Wallpaper
problem

Wallpaper

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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These pieces of wallpaper need to be ordered from smallest to largest. Can you find a way to do it?

Colouring Triangles
problem

Colouring triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Explore ways of colouring this set of triangles. Can you make symmetrical patterns?

Skeleton Shapes
problem

Skeleton shapes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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How many balls of modelling clay and how many straws does it take to make these skeleton shapes?

Chain of Changes
problem

Chain of changes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Arrange the shapes in a line so that you change either colour or shape in the next piece along. Can you find several ways to start with a blue triangle and end with a red circle?

The Puzzling Sweet Shop
problem

The puzzling sweet shop

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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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?
Secret Number
problem

Secret number

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Annie and Ben are playing a game with a calculator. What was Annie's secret number?

Making Sticks
problem

Making sticks

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Kimie and Sebastian were making sticks from interlocking cubes and lining them up. Can they make their lines the same length? Can they make any other lines?
Overlaps
problem

Overlaps

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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What does the overlap of these two shapes look like? Try picturing it in your head and then use some cut-out shapes to test your prediction.

Birthday Cakes
problem

Birthday cakes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Jack's mum bought some candles to use on his birthday cakes and when his sister was born, she used them on her cakes too. Can you use the information to find out when Kate was born?
Hundred Square Poster
problem

Hundred square

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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A hundred square has been printed on both sides of a piece of paper. What is on the back of 100? 58? 23? 19?

4 Dom
problem

4 dom

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Use these four dominoes to make a square that has the same number of dots on each side.
problem

Grouping goodies

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Pat counts her sweets in different groups and both times she has some left over. How many sweets could she have had?

Cubes Cut into Four Pieces
problem

Cubes cut into four pieces

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Eight children each had a cube made from modelling clay. They cut them into four pieces which were all exactly the same shape and size. Whose pieces are the same? Can you decide who made each set?

Stop the Clock
problem

Stop the clock

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This is a game for two players. Can you find out how to be the first to get to 12 o'clock?

The Tall Tower
problem

The tall tower

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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As you come down the ladders of the Tall Tower you collect useful spells. Which way should you go to collect the most spells?
Carrying Cards
problem

Carrying cards

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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These sixteen children are standing in four lines of four, one behind the other. They are each holding a card with a number on it. Can you work out the missing numbers?
Shape Draw
problem

Shape draw

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Use the information on these cards to draw the shape that is being described.

An Easy Way to Multiply by 10?
problem

An easy way to multiply by 10?

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Do you agree with Badger's statements? Is Badger's reasoning 'watertight'? Why or why not?
Times Tables Shifts
problem

Times tables shifts

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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In this activity, the computer chooses a times table and shifts it. Can you work out the table and the shift each time?

problem

Sweets in a box

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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How many different shaped boxes can you design for 36 sweets in one layer? Can you arrange the sweets so that no sweets of the same colour are next to each other in any direction?

problem

The moons of Vuvv

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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The planet of Vuvv has seven moons. Can you work out how long it is between each super-eclipse?

Number Differences
problem

Number differences

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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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?
Journeys in Numberland
problem

Journeys in Numberland

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Tom and Ben visited Numberland. Use the maps to work out the number of points each of their routes scores.

How do you do it?
problem

How do you do it?

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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This group activity will encourage you to share calculation strategies and to think about which strategy might be the most efficient.

A Cartesian Puzzle
problem

A Cartesian puzzle

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Find the missing coordinates which will form these eight quadrilaterals. These coordinates themselves will then form a shape with rotational and line symmetry.

problem

Multiplication squares

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you work out the arrangement of the digits in the square so that the given products are correct? The numbers 1 - 9 may be used once and once only.

Bryony's Triangle
problem

Bryony's triangle

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Watch the video to see how to fold a square of paper to create a flower. What fraction of the piece of paper is the small triangle?

Brush Loads
problem

Brush loads

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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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.

Real Statistics
problem

Real statistics

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Have a look at this table of how children travel to school. How does it compare with children in your class?